Up until last week, Trayvon Bromell looked like nearly as big of an Olympic 100m favorite as Usain Bolt at recent Games.
But between two meets, the picture became less clear.
First, South African Akani Simbine clocked an African record 9.84 seconds last Tuesday in Hungary to rank second in the world this year behind Bromell, who ran 9.77 and 9.80 in June.
Then, on Friday in Monaco, Bromell did not get his customary exemplary start. Some said he stumbled out of the blocks, though it’s hard to tell on video how much he was hindered. What’s clear is he finished fifth in 10.01 in a race won by U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up Ronnie Baker in 9.91.
On Tuesday, Bromell can silence the doubters at the last Diamond League meet before the Olympics. He’s entered in the 100m, along with Olympic bronze medalist Andre De Grasse of Canada and Olympic Trials third-place finisher Fred Kerley, in Gateshead, Great Britain.
Streaming coverage on Peacock starts at 12:50 p.m. ET. The NBCSN broadcast is from 2-4 p.m., also streaming on NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app.
Here are the entry lists. Here’s the schedule of events (all times Eastern):
12:51 p.m. — Men’s Triple Jump
12:54 — Men’s High Jump
1:18 — Women’s 100m
1:28 — Men’s 400m
1:41 — Men’s Mile
1:57 — Women’s Pole Vault
2:03 — Women’s 400m Hurdles
2:16 — Women’s 200m
2:22 — Men’s Javelin
2:25 — Men’s 100m
2:36 — Women’s Long Jump
2:38 — Men’s 110m Hurdles
2:47 — Women’s 100m Hurdles
2:55 — Men’s 800m
3:04 — Women’s Mile
3:15 — Women’s 400m
3:48 — Men’s 3000m
Here are five events to watch:
Women’s Pole Vault — 1:57 p.m.
Two of the top four women this year: Brit Holly Bradshaw and American Sandi Morris. It’s been a difficult stretch for Morris, the Olympic and world silver medalist. After she took third at Olympic Trials, Morris’ poles didn’t make it to Monaco, where she ended up sixth.
Women’s 200m — 2:16 p.m.
Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herah is the headliner here. She’s as under the radar as a reigning Olympic sprint champion can be. This is her first top-level international 200m since withdrawing from the 2019 World Championships. Since then, this event crowded considerably. Brit Dina Asher-Smith won the world title. Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the Olympic 400m champion, doubled down on switching to the 200m. American Gabby Thomas became the second-fastest woman in history. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the two-time Olympic 100m champion, won the Jamaican Trials in a personal best (Thompson-Herah was third). None of those rivals are in Gateshead.
Men’s Javelin — 2:22 p.m.
Field includes the last two world champs — Anderson Peters of Grenada and Johannes Vetter of Germany. Vetter is one of the biggest Olympic favorites in track and field, throwing farther than anybody else in the world this year at seven different meets across six countries. His best throw in 2021 is 22 feet farther than anyone else.
Men’s 100m — 2:25 p.m.
Bromell’s defeat in Monaco was his first at 100m since resurrecting his sprint career in 2020. The second- and third-fastest men in the Olympic field — Simbine and Baker — are not entered, but De Grasse and Kerley are not far behind the list of medal contenders. In his two meets before Monaco, Bromell ran the world’s two fastest times this year. If he shows that form again in Gateshead, Bromell will roll into the Olympics as a solid gold-medal favorite. Remember, Bolt won the Olympics in 2008 and 2012 after losing in his last meet before each Games.
Men’s 800m — 2:55 p.m.
Rio bronze medalist Clayton Murphy won the U.S. Olympic Trials in what was then the world’s fastest time this year. Since, he placed third and seventh in two European meets. Nijel Amos of Botswana and Emmanuel Korir of Kenya went one-two in Monaco, pushing Murphy to third-fastest this year. None of the top Africans are in Gateshead, giving Murphy and countryman Bryce Hoppel better chances of a confident-boosting victory heading into Tokyo.
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