The second stop of the 2014 Diamond League brings us to Shanghai, China. Although there’s no Men’s High Jump--which is officially the best event in the world right now--we’ll fill that void in our heart with some events that are making their 2014 Diamond League debut.

 

Below, we’ll preview the full spectrum of running events. There’s something for everyone. If you’re debating whether or not to wake up early Sunday morning (early being a relative term since the live coverage on Universal Sports starts at 8:00AM ET), we’ll go ahead and suggest that you should.

 

Here are seven reasons why:

 

Women's 1500

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
ARAFI Rababe	12.01.1991	MAR	4:05.22
AREGAWI Abeba	05.07.1990	SWE	3:56.54
BELETE Mimi	09.06.1988	BRN	4:00.25
GEZAHEGNE Kalkidan	08.05.1991	BRN	4:00.97
HASSAN Sifan	01.01.1993	NED	4:03.73
KIBIWOT Viola Jelagat	22.12.1983	KEN	3:59.25
KOSTER Maureen	03.07.1992	NED	4:06.50
LIU Fang	25.02.1990	CHN	4:07.90	4:27.45
MOSER Treniere	27.10.1981	USA	4:02.85	4:08.58
SIMPSON Jennifer	23.08.1986	USA	3:59.90	4:03.91
TSEGAY Gudaf	23.01.1997	ETH	4:07.27
TVERDOSTUP Tamara	17.07.1979	UKR	4:07.43
UCENY Morgan	10.03.1985	USA	4:00.06	4:08.68
WAFULA Lydia	15.02.1988	KEN	4:12.95
ZHAO Jing	09.07.1988	CHN	4:10.67

 

It’s Abeba Aregawi vs. Jenny Simpson VII. The two have gone head-to-head over 1,500-meters six times in their careers with Aregawi taking the win on five occasions. Simpson’s only win over the Swede comes from their first meeting at the the 2011 Monaco Diamond League. In the southeast of France, Simpson finished 5th in 4:03.54 and Aregawi was way back in 10th in 4:10.30.

 

Since then, things have been all Aregawi. There were thoughts that Simpson could usurp Aregawi’s throne at the 2013 World Championships, but the American ended up finishing in the silver position (an unbelievable accomplishment in itself) behind the eventual world champion.

 

Aregawi continued her winning ways during the winter, earning a matching world title at the 2014 World Indoor Championships with her 4:00.61 win. She would have set the indoor 1,500-meter world record with her 3:57.91 mark in Stockholm back in February if Genzebe Dibaba had not run 3:55.17 five days earlier. Win some, lose some.

 

The question here is one of race sharpness. Following her 4:03.91 season opener in Tokyo, we know Simpson is ready to go in mid-May. Simpson's fastest season debut was in 2013, where she won the Drake Relays 1,500-meters in 4:03.35. She followed that up with a 4:02.30 3rd place finish in Rome. The winner there? Aregawi in 4:00.23.

While Simpson has already started her outdoor campaign, Aregawi has yet to race since her win in Sopot, Poland.

 

That being said, Aregawi’s 2013 season debut was a 3:56.60 national record, so don’t expect her to be sluggish out of the blocks.

 

Those aren’t the only two, though. Kenya’s Viola Jelagat Kibiwot has run 3:59.25 for 1,500-meters and is coming off an 8:24.41 4th place finish at the Doha Diamond League 5K. Bahrain’s Mimi Belete, who finished 8th in Doha in 8:30.00, has run 4:00.25 for 1,500-meters as well.

 

Americans Treniere Moser and Morgan Uceny will feature, too. The two have run 4:08 this season with Moser taking 5th at the Drake Relays (4:08.58) and Uceny finishing 6th (4:08.68).

 

Men's 5000m

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
ADEM Abrar Osman	01.01.1994	ERI	13:17.32
ALAMIREW Yenew	27.05.1990	ETH	12:48.77	13:49.92
AYALEW Aweke	23.02.1993	BRN	13:05.00
BOUQANTAR Soufiyan	30.08.1993	MAR	13:19.59
GEBRHIWET Hagos	11.05.1994	ETH	12:47.53
KANGOGO Cornelius	15.12.1993	KEN	13:15.26
KAYA Ali	20.04.1994	TUR	13:31.39
KIPKOECH John	29.12.1991	KEN	12:49.50
LEGESSE Birhanu	01.01.1993	ETH	13:15.32
LETOYIE Moses Mukono	27.11.1995	KEN	13:37.4h
LONGOSIWA Thomas Pkemei	14.01.1988	KEN	12:49.04
NDIKU Jonathan Muia	18.09.1991	KEN	13:11.99	13:21.55
ROBERTSON Zane	14.11.1989	NZL	13:13.83
RONO Geoffrey Kipkoech	21.04.1987	KEN
RONO Vincent	01.01.1982	KEN	13:21.96
ROP Albert	20.12.1994	BRN	12:51.96
SOI Edwin Cheruiyot	03.03.1986	KEN	12:51.34
TAHRI Bouabdellah	20.12.1978	FRA	13:12.29
TOROITICH Timothy	10.10.1991	UGA	13:32.21
TUEMAY Tsegay	20.12.1995	ERI	13:20.89

 

Kenya and Ethiopia show up en masse for Sunday’s first big international Men’s 5,000-meters. Ben True might have the world lead (13:02.74) for now, but come Sunday morning, he might slip a bit in the world rankings.

 

We’ll go country by country in order to keep some sort of order here.

 

Ethiopia brings two of its three 5K representatives from the 2013 World Championships to Shanghai. Hagos Gebrhiwet, who has the fastest personal best in the field with a 12:47.53 clocking, makes his outdoor debut. The silver medalist from Moscow looked unbeatable this winter over 3,000-meters, but failed to make the podium in Sopot, Poland. He looks to return to his winning ways this Sunday.

 

The super talented Yenew Alamirew, who stayed relatively quiet in Europe this winter, will also make his outdoor 5,000-meter debut. The almost 24-year-old boasts a personal best of 12:48.77 from the 2012 Paris Diamond League.

 

Although it doesn’t need to be said, Kenya will be out in full force as well. 2012 Olympic 5K bronze medalist Thomas Longosiwa, who placed 4th last year in Moscow, makes his way back to the track following a 2nd place finish at the Giro Media Blenio 10K road race in Dongio, Italy.

 

He’s joined by two 12:51 men in Albert Rop (Ed. Note: He switched allegience to Bahrain in April 2013; go figure) and Edwin Soi. Rop got the better of Soi during the winter, running 7:39.24 to Soi’s 7:44.78 in the Dusseldorf 3K.

 

French 3,000-meter steeplechaser and indoor 5,000-meter national record holder Bouabdellah Tahri opens his outdoor campaign as well. Although his outdoor personal best of 13:12.29 is from six years ago, he did run a quick 1,500-meter last summer in Monaco (3:32.73). He could be overdue for another PR.

 

New Zealand’s Zane Robertson, who represented his country at the 2014 World Indoor Championship 3K, now moves up to his bread and butter distance. He ran a personal best of 13:13.83 last summer in Heusden.

 

Women's 400m

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
CHEN Jingwen	08.02.1990	CHN	52.18
FELIX Allyson	18.11.1985	USA	49.59
GEORGE Regina	17.02.1991	NGR	50.84
HASTINGS Natasha	23.07.1986	USA	49.84	52.01
MCCORORY Francena	20.10.1988	USA	49.86	50.24
MCPHERSON Stephenie Ann	25.11.1988	JAM	49.92	50.58
MONTSHO Amantle	04.07.1983	BOT	49.33	50.87
SPENCER Kaliese	06.05.1987	JAM	50.19	51.22
WILLIAMS-MILLS Novlene	26.04.1982	JAM	49.63	50.26

Just like how we’ve been enthralled with the high jump this spring, we were huge fans of the Women’s 400-meters last summer. While Christine Ohuruogu is sitting out Shanghai in lieu of the IAAF World Relays, we have still have some incredible match-ups over a quarter-mile.

 

Botswana’s Amantle Montsho, who was denied gold last summer by Ohuruogu, leads the field with her 50.87 world lead from Bamako, Mali.

 

She’ll be challenged by trio of Americans and one Nigerian, who went through the NCAA system.

 

After pulling out of three races, Allyson Felix will finally make her season debut. The reigning Olympic 200-meter champion has yet to compete since she tore her hamstring in the 2013 World Championships 200-meter final. Her personal best of 49.59 is from the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, where she was nipped by Montsho in the final and had to settle for silver.

 

While Felix has been out, Francena McCorory has been on a roll. The reigning World Indoor 400-meter champion is the current world leader (50.24) and has yet to lose at the event in 2014.

 

Natasha Hastings, who beat out McCorory at the 2013 U.S. Championships, looks to improve on her season’s best of 52.01 from mid-March.

 

The always dangerous Regina George has to yet to run an open 400-meter this season, but anchored Nigeria’s 4x400-meter relay at the Penn Relays in 50.49, which was the fastest of the field.

 

Men's 800m

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
BIWOTT Robert	28.01.1996	KEN	1:46.98
JOHNSON Brandon	02.03.1985	USA	1:43.84	1:47.37
LEWANDOWSKI Marcin	13.06.1987	POL	1:43.79
MAKHLOUFI Taoufik	29.04.1988	ALG	1:43.71
MULDER Tyler	15.02.1987	USA	1:44.34	1:48.76
MUSAGALA Ronald	16.12.1992	UGA	1:45.71	1:47.25
MUTAI Jeremiah Kipkorir	27.12.1992	KEN	1:43.9h	1:45.30
OLIVIER Andre	29.12.1989	RSA	1:44.29	1:45.39
ROTICH Abraham Kipchirchir	26.06.1993	BRN	1:43.13
SOM Bram	20.02.1980	NED	1:43.45
SOWINSKI Erik	21.12.1989	USA	1:44.58	1:44.58
TENG Haining	25.06.1993	CHN	1:46.56

 

The return of Taoufik Makhloufi, part deux. The reigning Olympic 1,500-meter champion made his long-awaited return to the track last week in Doha, where he ran an 800-meter personal best of 3:30.40 to finish 4th.

 

The Algerian set his 800-meter personal best in 2012 with a 1:43.71 2nd place finish in Stockholm.

 

The Americans will be represented by Erik Sowisnki, Brandon Johnson, and Tyler Mulder.

Sowisnki started his season with a a personal best of 1:44.58, which was set at the Mt. SAC Relays. Most recently, he finished 3rd in Tokyo in a time of 1:46.38.

 

Johnson looks to rebound from two disappointing performances in Doha and Tokyo, where he ran 1:47.59 and 1:47.37, respectively.

 

Mulder, who we’ve been told numerous times that we underrate, is coming off a 1:48.76 3rd place finish from the Oregon Twilight. If he has any sort of momentum from his teammate Hassan Mead’s incredible 5K at Payton Jordan, then expect a new season’s best, in the very least.

 

Keep a close eye on Kenya’s Jeremiah Mutai, Bahrain’s Abraham Rotich, and Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski, too. As long as no one gets disqualified, like Lewandowski did indoors, then they could all be a threat here.

 

Men's 100m

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
CARTER Nesta	10.11.1985	JAM	9.78	10.22
CHAMBERS Dwain	05.04.1978	GBR	9.97
COLLINS Kim	05.04.1976	SKN	9.97	10.22
GATLIN Justin	10.02.1982	USA	9.79	10.02
KOFFI Wilfried	12.10.1987	CIV	10.11	10.11
RODGERS Michael	24.04.1985	USA	9.85	10.11
SILMON Charles	04.07.1991	USA	9.98
SU Bingtian	29.08.1989	CHN	10.06
WU Zhiqiang	10.04.1994	CHN	10.53

 

Don’t let Justin Gatlin’s 10.02 from Tokyo fool you. According to Alfonz Juck of ENE News and the wind gauge, the 2013 World Championship silver medalist and drug cheat is in fine form.

Gatlin’s biggest challenge will come from Jamaica’s Nesta Carter. The two met earlier this season in Kingston, Jamaica and the American bested the 2013 2013 World Championship bronze medalist 10.11 to 10.22, respectively.

 

Americans Charles Silmon and Michael Rodgers will also feature in addition to the ageless wonder(s) Kim Collins and Dwain Chambers*.

*perhaps it was the drug use that kept him young.

 

Women's 200m

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
CAMPBELL-BROWN Veronica	15.05.1982	JAM	21.74	22.94
DUNCAN Kimberlyn	02.08.1991	USA	22.19	22.53
FRASER-PRYCE Shelly-Ann	27.12.1986	JAM	22.09	22.53
GARDNER English	22.04.1992	USA	22.62
MCLAUGHLIN Anneisha	06.01.1986	JAM	22.54	22.72
OKAGBARE Blessing	09.10.1988	NGR	22.31
STRACHAN Anthonique	22.08.1993	BAH	22.32	22.59
TOWNSEND Tiffany	14.06.1989	USA	22.26	23.19
WILLIAMS Charonda	27.03.1987	USA	22.52	23.62

Following her 100-meter win in Doha, the dominant Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce moves up to the 200-meters in Shanghai. The three-time 2013 world champion has already run the distance this season, clocking 22.53 for 200-meter two weeks ago in Kingston, Jamaica.

 

Be sure to keep a close eye on Veronica Campbell-Brown, who has already run 22.94 for 200-meters this season. The Olympic bronze medalist was 5th in the 60-meters at the 2014 World Indoor Championships this winter.

VCP was cleared to compete by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association back in October.

 

It'll be an interesting test for Americans Kimberlyn Duncan and English Gardner as well. While Duncan was bested by SAFP in Kingston (22.53 to 22.61, respectively), the former LSU superstar has run 22.53 this season.

 

We’re not sure what’s going on with Gardner, though. In her first year as a professional, Gardner has run 11.31, 11.50. and 11.57. That’s a long way away from her 10.85 personal best, set at the U.S. Championships last summer.

 

Still, she’s an absolute talent and has run 22.62. Things could maybe click in Shanghai.

 

Men's 110mH

ATHLETE	DATE OF BIRTH	NATION	PB	SB
BRATHWAITE Ryan	06.06.1988	BAR	13.14	13.58
JIANG Fan	16.09.1989	CHN	13.47
MARTINOT-LAGARDE Pascal	22.09.1991	FRA	13.12	13.42
MERRITT Aries	24.07.1985	USA	12.80	13.78
OLIVER David	24.04.1982	USA	12.89	13.23
ROBLES Dayron	19.11.1986	CUB	12.87
SHUBENKOV Sergey	10.10.1990	RUS	13.09	13.38
THOMAS Mikel	23.11.1987	TRI	13.19	13.42
WILSON Ryan	19.12.1980	USA	13.02	13.30
XIE Wenjun	11.07.1990	CHN	13.28

 

Although Aries Merritt has withdrawn, the regular faces will still be in the blocks. The three medalists from the 2013 World Championships--David Oliver, Ryan Wilson, and Sergey Shubenkov--will again go toe-to-toe. The three met in Doha with Oliver taking the win (13.23), Shubenkov surging for 2nd (13.38), and Wilson placing 5th in 13.52.

 

One name to note is Cuba’s Dayron Robles. The former world record holder may boast a personal best of 12.87, but hasn’t broken 13.00 since his incredible 2008 season.

Again, Universal Sports will have live coverage starting Sunday, May 18th at 8:00AM ET. As usual, Flotrack will be providing live updates as well.