At Diamond League Silesia, Paris stars can extend trend of post-Olympic history

A season’s last stretch of track and field meets after an Olympics has historically yielded all-time performances.

In September 2012, American Aries Merritt followed an Olympic gold medal by breaking the 110m hurdles world record.

In August 2016, Poland’s Anita Włodarczyk repeated as Olympic hammer throw champion, then broke her own world record 13 days later.

In August 2021, Jamaicans Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran the second- and third-fastest 100m times in history at Diamond League meets following the Tokyo Games.

More could be in store over the final three weeks of this Diamond League season, which continues with a meet in Poland, live on Peacock on Sunday from 10 a.m.-noon ET.

Already since Paris, Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran the joint-fourth-fastest 800m in history at a Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.

The top four men from that race return Sunday. David Rudisha’s world record from the 2012 Olympics may be under threat.

In other events, Olympic standouts have something to chase.

In the shot put, Ryan Crouser looks to overtake Joe Kovacs as the world’s farthest thrower in 2024.

In the 110m hurdles, Grant Holloway can break his tie for the most sub-13-second races in history.

In the 100m, Jamaican Kishane Thompson can with a modest season’s best become the world’s fastest man in nine years.

In the 100m hurdles, American Masai Russell has already this summer become the joint-fourth-fastest woman in history. A strong field on Sunday could help push her further up the all-time list.

Who is competing at Diamond League Silesia?

Here are the Silesia entry lists. Here are five events to watch:

Men’s Shot Put — 8:24 a.m. ET
The top seven from the Olympics are in the field, led by three-time gold medalist and world record holder Crouser. But it’s three-time silver medalist Joe Kovacs who has the world’s best throw in 2024 (23.13 meters).

Men’s 110m Hurdles — 8:49 a.m. ET
Olympic bronze medalist Rasheed Broadbell of Jamaica handed Olympic gold medalist Holloway his first defeat of 2024 in Lausanne. Holloway also missed his first chance to break his tie with 1996 Olympic champ Allen Johnson for the most sub-13-second races in history. They both have 11. All of the Paris medalists return Sunday — Holloway, silver medalist Daniel Roberts and Broadbell.

Men’s 100m — 9:41 a.m. ET
Olympic champ Noah Lyles shut down his season after Paris, but this field does have silver medalist Thompson, two-time Olympic 100m medalist Fred Kerley and Tokyo Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy. Thompson owns the world’s fastest time in the last two years, a 9.77 he clocked at the Jamaican Olympic Trials in June. Nobody has run 9.75 or faster in the last nine years.

Women’s 100m Hurdles — 10:34 a.m. ET
A field so loaded that there will be two heats to determine finalists. Seven of the eight women from the Olympic final are entered, led by all three medalists — Russell, Cyréna Samba-Mayela of France and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico. At the Olympic Trials, Russell ran 12.25 to become the joint-fourth-fastest woman in history.

Men’s 800m — 11:14 a.m. ET
On Thursday, Wanyonyi provided the performance of the night by running the joint-fourth-fastest time in history (1:41.11), just two tenths off fellow Kenyan Rudisha’s world record. The top four men from Lausanne return Sunday.