The world’s two fastest women are set to face off at a Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland on Sunday in a preview of August’s world championships.
Jamaican Shericka Jackson, the world No. 1 this year (10.65) seconds, plus U.S. champion Sha’Carri Richardson (10.71) are entered in the 100m.
The meet airs live on Sunday at 10 a.m. ET on CNBC, NBCSports.com/live, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.
It is rare for the world’s top two sprinters — male or female — to enter the same meet, especially this close to worlds.
This past weekend, Richardson posted the world’s fastest time this year in the heats at the USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. Then Jackson overtook her with her emphatic win at the Jamaican Championships the next day.
They have combined for seven of the world’s 10 fastest times this year, though reigning world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica has yet to race a 100m in 2023. She has a bye into worlds.
Sunday’s winner likely becomes the world championships favorite.
Start lists are here. Here are five events to watch:
Men’s Shot Put — 8:40 a.m. ET
Top five in the world this year, led by world record holder Ryan Crouser, who has been nearly three feet better than the second-best thrower this year (Joe Kovacs). Though Crouser upped the world record to 23.56 meters in May, he still hasn’t hit the goal distance posted on his bathroom mirror for the last two years: 23.77.
Women’s Triple Jump -- 9:42 a.m. ET
The top four from 2022 Worlds and top three this year by best jump, led by world record holder Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela. She is undefeated in this Olympic cycle, but in her last Diamond League had her closest win since the Tokyo Games, edging Cuban Leyanis Perez by four centimeters. It was the first time Rojas did not break 15 meters at a top-level meet since August 2020. Perez is in this field.
Men’s 100m — 10:16 a.m. ET
World champion Fred Kerley returns to the 100m after contesting solely the 200m at USATF Outdoors (placing fourth), since he has a bye into the 100m at worlds. Here, he faces the new U.S. 100m champion, Cravont Charleston, who had never raced a final at either the NCAA Championships or USATF Outdoors before his triumph last week. Kerley has looked like the world championships favorite for most of the season, but Brit Zharnel Hughes gained momentum with a world-leading 9.83 on June 24. Hughes is not in this field.
Women’s 100m Hurdles — 10:47 a.m. ET
Headlined by the last two world champions: Nigerian Tobi Amusan, who broke the world record at last year’s worlds, and Nia Ali, who returned from her third childbirth to win the U.S. title last week. Keni Harrison, the former world record holder and runner-up to Ali at USATF Outdoors, is also in the field.
Women’s 100m — 11:53 a.m. ET
Richardson beat Jackson in their lone head-to-head this season at the Diamond League opener on May 5. Each was sensational at their national championships. Richardson set personal bests in the 100m and 200m. Jackson did so in the 100m and recorded the world’s second-fastest 200m this year, which was into a headwind.
