Amusan, Richardson, Jackson, others light up Silesia Diamond League on Sunday

World record holder in 100m Tobi Amusan and a former world champion in the event Nia Ali, who returned from her third childbirth to win the U.S. title last week are two of the top world-class athletes that will compete at Silesia Diamond League on Sunday.

 Keni Harrison, the former world record holder and runner-up to Ali at USATF Outdoors, is also in the field.

The world’s two fastest women Jamaican Shericka Jackson, the world No. 1 this year (10.65) seconds, plus U.S. champion Sha’Carri Richardson (10.71) are also set to face off at a Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland on Sunday in a preview of August’s world championships.

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 championship favorite.

In other events, 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 British  Zharnel Hughes gained momentum with a world-leading 9.83 on June 24. Hughes is not in this field.