Seoul Gazette - London Diamond League: five stand-out events ahead of Paris Olympics

After two frenetic back-to-back meets in Paris and Monaco, a host of athletes fine-tuned their preparations for the Summer Games in some style in perfect conditions at a packed London Stadium.

AFP Sport looks at five events that stood out.

Men's 100m

Noah Lyles turned on the afterburners to set a personal record of 9.81 seconds into a slight headwind (0.3 m/s) to claim victory in the 100m in a statement win, with the opening ceremony of the Paris Games now just five days away.

The American who won double sprint gold at last year's world championships in Budapest will head to the French capital in buoyant mood and confident of repeating his world success.

"A personal best and getting faster before Paris," said Lyles after taking down South African Akani Simbine and Botswana's Letsile Tebogo.

"I wanted to dip under the 9.80 - I thought I was going to get a wind like everyone else. I know exactly where I am ahead of Paris."

Women's 800m

Keely Hodgkinson improved her own British record and personal best to a stunning 1min 54.61sec in the two-lap race, the fastest time in the world since Caster Semenya ran a hundredth of a second faster in July 2018.

Reigning Olympic champion Athing Mu will not be in Paris after falling at the US trials, leaving Hodgkinson, a three-time global silver medallist, as a nailed-on favourite for the event.

Even if Mu were to be present, it is debatable whether she might better the Englishwoman in this kind of form.

In a hugely positive result for Team GB, Hodgkinson was joined on the podium by Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell, the latter set to compete in the 1500m in Paris.

"I'm feeling really good and confident ahead of Paris," said Hodgkinson.

"Obviously the main aim is just to get to the final first and then once we're there we can discuss getting medals. The team did so well today, Jemma got a huge PB so it's looking good for Paris."

Men's 400m

Matthew Hudson-Smith clocked a 43.74sec world lead in the 400m to set the near-capacity 58,000 crowd alight.

It was the first time he'd broken the 44-sec barrier, improving his own personal best by a massive 0.31sec.

US champion Quincy Hall is the only other one-lap specialist to have gone sub-44, when winning in Monaco last weekend in 43.80sec.

"Getting ready for Paris is all that matters and I believe (that race) was very important for that," said Hudson-Smith.

"A lot of people say that there is no favourite for the 400m and I think it is because there are not as many Americans involved as there used to be.

"The rest of the world has caught up, so I think this year across the board it is really open at the Olympics."

Women's 200m

Gabby Thomas produced a late surge to win the 200m in a meet record of 21.82sec ahead of up-and-coming St Lucia athlete Julien Alfred.

It could be argued that the 200m in Paris is one of the more open events.

In the absence of Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and American Sha'Carri Richardson, and with Jamaica's two-time defending world champion Shericka Jackson not firing on all cylinders, the title is there for Thomas to claim.

"I feel really good. It's made me feel confident going into the Paris Games after that one," she said.

Women's 400m hurdles

Femke Bol underlined her status as the main pretender to American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone's bid for back-to-back Olympic titles.

Bol claimed the win in 51.30sec, the second-fastest time of her career and fourth-fastest time in history. The question is whether she can make up time on McLaughlin-Levrone.

"I am excited for Paris and of course to put on my best race there," she said.

"I am looking forward to racing Sydney -- that will push us both. I will be ready for it."

C.Nam--SG