Emma Coburn Will Break the American Record

1:10pm CT
Emma Coburn is in really good shape. Shape that allowed her to run 9:15 through the heat at the U.S. Championships, beating runner-up Stephanie Garcia by nearly 8-seconds. According to her social media, she’s only going for two Diamond League races on this European stint, so this would be her time to grab that American record, that she really ran in 2014. And she’s in good company. Ethiopian Hiwot Ayalew holds the fastest time in the field with her 9:09 PB and 9:16 season best, plus a DL win in New York. Hiwot was the winner in Glasgow when Coburn ran her historic 9:11. Kenyan Virginia Nyambura has run her 9:15 PB this season and has two DL wins under her belt from Doha and Birmingham. All signs point to these three as the last women standing and Coburn’s 9:11.42 PB in major jeopardy. 

Last tune up before heading to Europe tomorrow for some races! Lausanne 7/9 & Monaco 7/17. #SeeMyRun 🏃🏼🏃🏼🏃🏼 pic.twitter.com/brmThZruI6

— emma coburn (@emmajcoburn) July 3, 2015

Americans Colleen Quigley and Leah O’Connor, fresh off of their pro debuts at the U.S. Championships, are also in the field. Their last two match-ups ended with a furious final 400m lap stride-for-stride, with Quigley winning both. O’Connor is due for a great race after a frustrating fall on the final water pit in Eugene, and this could be the perfect place.

Mo Farah Returns to the Track for the First Time Since Pre Classic

2:01pm CT
Mo Farah will return to the track in this monster 5K for the first time since the doping allegations against his coach Alberto Salazar stormed the running world. Farah has not raced since winning the Pre Classic 10K in 26:50.97 and the field assembled in Lausanne should be a good test for Farah, who dropped out of the Birmingham DL amidst the allegations. Four sub-13:00 men (in 2015 alone) are in this race, including the young Yomif Kejelcha (12:58.39) who beat Farah’s training partner Galen Rupp at the Pre Classic. Hagos Gebrhiwet (12:58.69), Imane Merga (12:59.04) and Thomas Longosiwa (12:59.78) will look to build upon their season successes, while Farah will likely be subject to heavy questioning in the mixed zone, regardless of the outcome. Farah’s most recent fastest 5K came in 2013 at the Pre Classic when he ran 13:05, a year when he later went on to become a double world champion. He needs an IAAF “A” standard before Beijing (13:23.00), but it’s likely this group will go much faster.

Gatlin vs. Gay vs. Powell over 100m

2:17pm CT
FINALLY. We get to see the world’s fastest men race each other. Minus THE fastest, Usain Bolt, the 100m in Lausanne will be insane. Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay have yet to face off in 2015 and bring 9.74 and 9.79 SB times to the track, respectively. In fact, they have rarely raced each other since 2004. Take a look at their head-to-head outcomes, per the website Tilastopaja.


Screenshot taken from the website Tilastopaja

Whatever you want to think, they're flying in 2015. Combined with Jamaican Asafa Powell, fresh off his victory in Paris in 9.81, these three alone should all make the world championship final in August. Look for this to be one of the hottest competitions on the track.

Jenny Simpson's Quest for World Dominance

2:26pm CT
Where there’s Coburn, there’s usually her counterpart Jenny Simpson. And Simpson is in an excellent field assembled for the women’s 1500m. Fresh off her U.S. championship, the undefeated Simpson brings her talents to a group of four other sub-4:00 competitors. Simpson’s SB of 3:59.31 came against Sifan Hassan (3:59.68) and Dawit Seyaum (3:59.76) in Rome. Both Hassan and Seyaum are back, along with Faith Kipyegon with her 3:56 PB and Viola Kibiwot (3:59 PB).

Like Coburn, could Simpson grab an American record? She came so close to Mary Slaney’s 3:57.12 around this time last year in Paris (3:57.22). (WATCH: Jenny Simpson After JUST Missing the AR) It wouldn’t be crazy to say this Lausanne race could be a 3:57 race, and Simpson always competes.