Ideally placed two weeks before the Paris Games, the Herculis EBS Meeting will be the perfect opportunity to fine-tune their preparation and get their bearings before taking to the track. Five world champions have confirmed their presence on the track at the Stade Louis II on 12 July.
Men's 110m hurdles:
Grant Holloway has fond memories of his visit to the Herculis EBS Meeting in 2022. The three-time world champion won the race in a season's best time of 12'99 (+0.6m/s). I'm looking forward to racing in Monaco, on a track where I have some very fond memories,’ confided the American. It's always a pleasure to be here. This season, Holloway has clocked a time of 13'03 (-0.1m/s). We'll have to keep an eye on his time, because the meeting record seems within his grasp...
Meeting record: 12‘’92 (0.0) - Aries Merritt (USA) - 20 July 2012
World best performance of the year: 13'03 (-0.1m/s) - Grant Holloway (USA) - 25 May in Eugene (USA)
Men's 200m:
Some of the athletes have a sincere love for the Herculis EBS Meeting. Noah Lyles falls into this category. The American, three-time world champion in the discipline, has already raced four times on the track at the Stade Louis II. The last time, in 2022, he won by a wide margin, taking the meeting record to 19'46 over 200m. This season, he clocked 19'77, with a lot of headwind... Promising for his outing in Monaco!
Meeting record: 19‘’46 (+0.8m/s) - Noah Lyles (USA) - 10 August 2022
World best performance of the year: 19‘’67 (+1.7m/s) - Kenneth Bednarek (USA) - 10 May in Doha (QAT)
Women's pole vault:
The last time Katie Moon appeared in Monaco, she won with a bar at 4m90, in 2021. Since then, she has built up a fine record of achievements, with an Olympic title in Tokyo and two consecutive world championship titles to consolidate her leadership of the discipline. In Monaco this year, she will be confirming her status, as she has jumped the highest this summer, and fine-tuning her preparations for the big event of the summer.
Meeting record: 5m04 - Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) - 29 July 2008
World best performance of the year: 4m86 - Molly Caudery (GBR) - 24 February in Rouen (FRA)
Men's 800m:
The first time Marco Arop took to the track at the Stade Louis II, in 2020, he beat his personal best. The following year, he did it again, clocking 1'43‘’26. What if he did it again this year? The Canadian is in good form, clocking a fine time of 1'43‘’61 on his Wanda Diamond League debut in Xiamen. There's every reason to hope for another big time, on a track that has often suited him...
Meeting record: 1'41‘’98 - Nijel Amos (BOT) - 12 July 2019
World best performance of the year: 1'43‘’23 - Djamel Sedjati (ALG) - 2 June in Stockholm (SWE)
Women's javelin:
Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi, crowned last summer in Budapest, is the new benchmark for the world javelin. Since her arrival on the circuit, she has won the Wanda Diamond League 7 times, and last year won the final in Eugene. The Japanese record-holder, with 67m38, will be keen to do well in Monaco, and to get back on the world record list this season (currently 63m45), on a track she already knows, having finished second in 2022.
Meeting record: 69m45 - Barbora Špotáková (CZE) - 22 July 2011
World best performance of the year: 66m70 - Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado (COL) - 12 May in Cuiaba (BRA)
