It is well known that athletics is a sport whose focus centres on competition between two athletes, male or female, in one of its many disciplines, rather than a team sport in which one team seeks to face another.
With this season’s Doha Diamond League approaching on 11 May, its events will carry the weight of a World Championship final. That does not change the fact that in many disciplines, the anticipated rivalry between two leading athletes is far greater than in others.
The following list of the top 10 matchups, presented in no particular order, is set to heighten the excitement of the crowds at Qatar Sports Club in Doha, and reads as follows:
No. 1
Men’s 100m
Asafa Powell (Jamaica) v Justin Gatlin (United States)
Powell beat Gatlin in January’s 50m indoor race. Gatlin, however, went on to build on that form and win the world indoor title in March. The American leads their overall 100m head-to-head 6-3. Meanwhile, the Jamaican holds the better personal best, having run 9.72 seconds against Gatlin’s 9.85.
No. 2
Men’s 400m
LaShawn Merritt (USA) v Angelo Taylor (USA)
Taylor is known as a 400m hurdles champion, but he is also keen to prove himself a top-class flat 400m runner. Overall, though, the result has favoured Merritt, who has won 15 of their 16 races against Taylor. Merritt holds the better personal best, having covered the distance in 43.75, compared with Taylor’s 44.05.
No. 3 Men’s 800m
David Rudisha (Kenya) v Mohammed Aman (Ethiopia)
This is a very new rivalry, first emerging in September 2011 when Aman beat his rival Rudisha to the astonishment of the crowd in Milan. Rudisha has three wins to Aman’s one and is also faster on personal bests (1:41.01 against 1:43.37), yet the 18-year-old Ethiopian is closing the gap fast.
No. 4
Men’s 1500m
Asbel Kiprop (Kenya) v Abubaker Kaki Khamis (Sudan)
The two runners are evenly matched for speed over 800m and 1500m. Kiprop is regarded as the better 1500m runner, while Kaki excels over 800m. The pair have met once over 1500m, a win for Kiprop, and twice over 800m, splitting the wins between them. Kiprop holds the better personal best of 3:30.46, with Kaki on 3:31.76.
No. (5)
Men’s 3000m
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) v Augustine Choge (Kenya)
Bekele is extremely hard to beat! The Ethiopian, who has won at 3000m, was also the better of the two in a single 1500m race the pair contested together, plus three further 1500m and 5000m races. Bekele holds the better personal best of 7:25.79, with Choge on 7:28.76.
No. (6)
Men’s high jump
Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) v Jesse Williams (United States)
Mutaz needs to beat Williams in six meetings, and he is working hard to achieve that. In their last meeting, the American took second place, with Barshim third behind him. Both cleared 2.37m, with the Qatari recording his best personal performance of the season for the indoor circuit.
No. (7)
Women’s 100m
Veronica Campbell-Brown (Jamaica) v Allyson Felix (United States)
The Jamaican is a specialist over 100m and 200m, while the American specialises in the 200m and 400m. In the 100m, Campbell-Brown leads 5-0, while in the 200m, Felix has 6 wins to Campbell-Brown’s 4. On personal bests, Campbell-Brown has run 10.76 seconds, while Felix has run 10.93 (in Doha).
No. (8)
Women’s 800m
Pamela Jelimo (Kenya) v Janeth Jepkosgei (Kenya)
The two Kenyans have shared plenty of triumphs and setbacks in their careers. In races between them, Jelimo has 9 wins to Jepkosgei’s 6, though Jepkosgei has won their last six meetings. Jelimo holds the better personal best of 1:54.01, compared with Jepkosgei’s 1:56.04.
No. (9)
Women’s 3000m
Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) v Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya)
Defar leads 7-1, and her most recent win over Cheruiyot came as long ago as March 2010. The Kenyan beat the Ethiopian in their most recent meeting, in July 2010. Over 5000m, Defar leads 12-4, though the Kenyan has recently taken 3 wins to 1 against the Ethiopian. On personal bests, Defar holds 8:23.72 minutes, with Cheruiyot on 8:28.66 minutes.
No. (10)
Women’s javelin throw
Maria Abakumova (Russia) v Barbora Spotakova (Czech Republic)
This is one of the fiercest field-event rivalries, especially after their unforgettable last meeting in Daegu. Over their 24 encounters, Spotakova has won 13 times to Abakumova’s 11. The Czech holds the world record after a throw of 72.28m, while the Russian took second place with her best throw of 71.99m.
