Fresh from winning the Kip Keino Classic last weekend at Moi Stadium Kasarani, Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala has been entered for the Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy next month.
Omanyala, who is the reigning African champion, clocked a world lead of 9:84 seconds at the Kip Keino Classic last weekend and will face a stern test in the Italian city
He is expected to renew rivalry with Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs (Italy) and World champion Fred Kerley of the United States.
Omanyala is expected to make his debut in the Diamond League in Rabat, Morocco on May 28. Two-time Olympic and world 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon will also be looking to consolidate her superiority in the race.
Kipyegon faces world 500m bronze medallist Laura Muir of Great Britain in what is expected to be an explosive race. World 5000m silver medallist Jacob Krop faces an acid test in the 12-lap race.
Krop will compete alongside world champion record holder Joshua Cheptegei, Olympic 5,000m silver medallist Mohammed Ahmed of Canada, Olympic bronze medallist Oscar Chelimo of Uganda and Nicholas Kipkorir.
Also in the field are two-time indoor 1500m champion Samuel Tefera of Ethiopia and Spaniard Mohamed Katir.
World 3000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech will face off with Olympic champion and silver medalists Ugandan Peruth Chemutai and American Courtney Frerichs alongside world bronze medallist Mekides Abebe of Ethiopia.
There will be great expectations for Femke Bol in the 400m hurdles. The Dutch Olympic bronze and world silver medallist can achieve the fourth win in a row at the Golden Gala after 53.90 in 2020, 53.44 in 2021 and 53.02 in 2022.
United States's Shamier Little, who finished fourth at the World Championships, is the most accredited rival.
The 110m hurdles promise a rematch of the Oregon final with the American Grant Holloway, who won gold, silver medallist Trey Cunningham of the USA, and Spanish Asier Martinez who won the bronze, all competing at the Ridolfi Stadium.
There will also be a preview of the Budapest 2023 World Championships in the women's pole vault with Olympic gold medallist and world champion Katie Moon (USA), the world indoor champion Sandi Morris, and Australian Nina Kennedy, third in Eugene, all competing.
In the triple jump, the focus is on the contest between the world indoor record holder Fabrice Hugues Zango (Burkina Faso), the neo-Italian Andy Diaz, and the world indoor gold medallist Lazaro Martinez (Cuba).
