We've previewed the big three events, plus all the Monaco Diamond League distance action here and here. Now for some love for the sprints.

Men’s 110-meter Hurdles

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
BASCOU Dimitri	20.07.1987	FRA	13.25	13.25
MARTINOT-LAGARDE Pascal	22.09.1991	FRA	13.05	13.05
MERRITT Aries	24.07.1985	USA	12.80	13.78
OLIVER David	24.04.1982	USA	12.89	13.21
ORTEGA Orlando	29.07.1991	CUB	13.08	13.10
PARCHMENT Hansle	17.06.1990	JAM	12.94	12.94
SHUBENKOV Sergey	10.10.1990	RUS	13.09	13.13
WILSON Ryan	19.12.1980	USA	13.02	13.18

World Record holder Aries Merritt is back, but in his absense, plenty of challengers have emerged to usurp his 110mH hurdling supremacy. Rightfully so, too.

Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment became the 16th athlete to go sub-13 in the event with his 12.94 win in Paris. France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, who finished second in a personal best of 13.05 in Paris, is in fine with wins in Prefontaine, Oslo, and Lausanne to his name,

Cuba’s Orlando Ortega is ranked #4 in the world, but his last three races have been a bit bizarre: 13.38 for 2nd in Montreuil, 13.66 for 1st in Alcorcón, and 13.30 for 2nd in Luzern. We're not sure what to expect of him in Monaco.

Russia’s Sergey Shubenkov, who was the bronze medalist at last summer’s World Championship, is always in the mix. He set a season’s best of 13.13 in Lausanne to finish second and followed that up with a 13.29 third place finish in Glasgow.

But what about the Americans? In an event usually dominated by the Americans, it’s been a weird off-year.

The reigning World Champion David Oliver has run 13.2x seven times this season, but “only” boasts a season’s best of 13.21. Oliver, who ran 13.00 last year and has a personal best of 12.89 from 2010, certainly has the talent to run faster, but has yet to come close to those marks in 2014. Consistency is great, but great times are better.

The Moscow silver medalist Ryan Wilson looked to be rounding into fine form, but has had some missteps as of late. After he set a season’s best of 13.18 in Paris, Wilson was third in Székesfehérvár in 13.55 and then seventh in Glasgow in 13.48.

Aries Merritt’s only 110mH race this outdoor season was in May 3rd down in Irvine, CA, where he finished third in 13.78. No idea what to expect here, but here’s an awesome preview video from the IAAF.



Men’s 200-meters

Tyson Gay and Justin Gatlin lead the way and, because I'm required to write about this event, I'm writing about this event.

Fun fact: Gatlin's personal best in the 200-meters is 20.00, which is from 2005. Since then, Tyson Gay has broken 20-seconds 15 times.

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
ASHMEADE Nickel	07.04.1990	JAM	19.85	19.95
DWYER Rasheed	29.01.1989	JAM	20.04	20.04
EDWARD Alonso	08.12.1989	PAN	19.81	19.84
GATLIN Justin	10.02.1982	USA	20.00	20.55
GAY Tyson	09.08.1982	USA	19.58
LEMAITRE Christophe	11.06.1990	FRA	19.80	20.11
MITCHELL Curtis	11.03.1989	USA	19.97	20.13

Panama’s Alonso Edward is among the favorites following his 19.84 win in Lausanne and his 20.25 win in Glasgow, where he took Warren Weir’s scalp.

Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade is coming off a 9.97 win at Glasgow DL and broke the 20-second barrier earlier this season with his 19.95 second place finish at adidas Grad Prix.

Men’s 400-meters


LaShawn Merritt is in the field, but no Kirani James. We can’t have them go head-to-head ever week, unfortunately.

In King Kirani’s absense, we have Botwana’s Isaac Makwala. Last week in Paris, Makwala stunned us with his 44.01 win and that’s not even the crazy part.

Going into 2014, Makwala’s personal best was 45.85. So far this season, he’s dropped that down to 44.92A, 44.83, and then 44.01. Quite the year.

Makwala is also coming off a 44.71 win at the Glasgow DL, so it’ll be interesting to see how he matches up against Merritt.

World Outdoor 400-meter silver medalist Tony McQuay, World Indoor 400-meter champion Pavel Maslak, World Outdoor 400-meter bronze medalist Lugelin Santos, and Saudi Arabia’s Youssef Al-Masrahi all feature.

Women’s 100-meters

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
AHOURE Murielle	23.08.1987	CIV	10.91	10.98
AHYE Michelle-Lee	10.04.1992	TTO	10.85	10.85
AKAKPO Stella	28.02.1994	FRA	11.24	11.24
BOWIE Tori	27.08.1990	USA	10.91	10.91
CAMPBELL-BROWN Veronica	15.05.1982	JAM	10.76	10.86
FELIX Allyson	18.11.1985	USA	10.89	11.53
FRASER-PRYCE Shelly-Ann	27.12.1986	JAM	10.70	11.10
OKAGBARE Blessing	09.10.1988	NGR	10.79	11.06
SOUMARE Myriam	29.10.1986	FRA	11.07	11.17

Four women in the field have gone sub-11 this season, but it all depends on form.

Can you guess who in the field is undefeated this year? It's Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye. With two Diamond League wins at Lausanne and Glasgow, plus a 10.85 personal best, it’s hard to bet against the 22-year-old.

Then there’s the in form, then out of form, then sort of in form Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The Jamaican began the season with a 11.13 win in Doha, but was then eighth in the 200-meter at Prefontaine, eighth in the 100-meters in Rome, and fifth in the 200-meters in Paris.

But last week in Glasgow, SAFP moved past her injury woes, and clocked an 11.10 second place finish in the Glasgow DL 100-meters. When she’s hot, she’s red-hot.

Newcomer Tori Bowie has been out with an injury since the U.S. Championships, but could challenge depending on how she’s recovered. Before she limped off the track in Sacramento, CA, she was atop the world.

Speaking of injury trouble, Allyson Felix is on the upswing. After a slow start to the season, the Olympic 200-meter champion drops back down to the 100-meters in Monaco. In her only 100-meter race this summer, Felix clocked an 11.53 in the (negative) windy preliminary heats at the U.S. Championships.

The one to keep an eye on is Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown. After her return from suspension, VCP has clocked three consecutive sub-11 performances, with the best of 10.86 coming at the Star Athletics Meeting on June 7th. There may have been a +2.0 wind, but a 10.96 win at the Jamaica National Championships with a -0.4 wind makes her the real deal.

Last, but not least, is Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure. The Moscow 100-meter and 200-meter silver medalist  has run 10.98 this season and has been in the top three at her last two Diamond League meetings.