The second half of the Diamond League begins on Friday in Lausanne. With less than a month until the US Championships (and inside three months to Worlds), results are starting to carry a bit more weight. 

Here are five events to watch:

Men’s 200m: Do we see a 19.6 from Noah Lyles?

All signs point to yes. Lyles has already run 19.72 this year (quicker than his 2018 debut) and looks to be zooming toward a quicker version of last year when he put four times under 19.70. 

But this race isn’t just about Lyles. Andre De Grasse re-entered the medal discussion when he ran 19.91 two weeks ago at Ostrava. 

Racing Lyles will be a great benchmark to see just how far the Olympic silver medalist has come since injuries stalled his trajectory in 2017. Both men are fantastic closers and that strength vs. strength battle will create an entertaining straightaway.

Men’s 1500m: Can anyone beat Timothy Cheruiyot?

The 2017 silver medalist, is 12-3 in the 1500m/mile over the past two years. The man who gave him those three losses, Elijah Manangoi isn’t entered in Lausanne. 

Finding a candidate to beat Cheruiyot is difficult. Ayanleh Souleiman, Filip Ingebrigtsen and Jakob Ingebrigtsen finished 2-3-4 to Cheruiyot at last week’s Prefontaine Classic. But Cheruiyot is a tough out. He seems immune to poor races--since the beginning of 2017, he’s only finished out of the top three once--a remarkable feat in the 1500m. Cheruiyot doesn’t blow people away in the final 200m, but he keeps them at bay with steady acceleration that zaps the kick out of the rest of the field. 

Women’s 100m: Will Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce rebound from her race at Pre?

Fraser-Pryce hit both ends of the spectrum in the past two weeks. First, a 10.73 at the Jamaican trials, the fourth best time of her storied career. That run put Fraser-Pryce back into the gold medal conversation. Then, she went to Stanford and struggled mightily, finishing seventh in 11.39. Times were slow across the board, but the more concerning part was only beating one woman in the field.

In Lausanne, which Fraser-Pryce will we see?

To win, she’ll need to be under 11 seconds. Marie Josee Ta Lou ran 11.02 to win at Pre Classic. Dina Asher-Smith has a season-best of 10.94 and just finished third in the 200m at Pre. 

Kayla White will be making her pro debut. White ran 10.95 for second at the NCAA Championships in June. 

Women’s 400m: Can Naser break 50 seconds?

Salwa Eid Naser continues to be an overwhelming favorite in any 400m that doesn’t include Shaunae Miller-Uibo. Miller-Uibo isn’t in Lausanne, ipso facto, Naser should roll against this field. Miller-Uibo’s 49.05 in late April set the tone in this event. As good as Naser has been, she hasn’t shown indications this year that she could seriously challenge Miller-Uibo. At least not yet. 

In this field, Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson looks to be the only one who can challenge Naser. Jackson ran 49.78 at the Jamaican trials last month, bettering her personal best from 2016. Still just 24-years-old, Jackson could get back to being in the top three in the world.  

Men’s 5000m: Paul Chelimo gets another chance against Joshua Cheptegei

In a field filled with sub 13-minute runners (and some sub 12:50), it’s hard to find a favorite. Last week, over two miles, Cheptegei held off Chelimo in the final meters in Chelimo’s best race of the year. Selemon Barega, who ran 12:53 earlier in the year, took third and wasn’t able to keep pace when the final kick began. 

Lausanne will be the first race for Haile Bekele since his remarkable four day stretch in early June. Bekele ran 12:52.98 in Rome on June 6th to beat a stout field that included Barega and Hagos Gebrhiwet. Less than a week later, Bekele ran 12:57.56 to win in Hengelo. Those performances vaulted Bekele from an unheralded Diamond League neophyte (he ran one Diamond League in 2018) to atop the world list. 

What else to watch?

-Daniel Roberts will make his Diamond League debut. He was a late scratch from the Prefontaine Classic and his 13.00 PR will energize this race

-Three weeks before USAs, how will the American women fare in the 400m hurdles? Kori Carter, Shamier Little, Ashley Spencer and Cassandra Tate are all entered.

-Will someone break out in the men’s 800m? Emmanuel Korir looks like the best candidate, but Brandon McBride and Marcin Lewandowski have run well this year. 

-How will Justin Gatlin follow-up his 9.87 at the Prefontaine Classic?