The African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala is set to compete against world champion Fred Kerley and Olympic gold medalist Lamont Marcell Jacobs at the Meeting International Mohammed VI in Rabat on May 28.
The trio was supposed to race against each other for the first time at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi last year, but Jacobs withdrew from the competition due to illness.
Omanyala won the Kip Keino Classic in front of his home crowd, but he and Jacobs failed to make it to the final in Oregon where Kerley emerged victorious.
Now, Kerley and Jacobs have the chance to renew their rivalry at the Rabat meet after not facing each other since the Olympic final in Tokyo in 2021.
Initially, Kerley and Jacobs were scheduled to face off at the third Diamond League meeting in Florence on June 2, but Morocco confirmed their entry into the Rabat meet on Wednesday.
Kerley won the 200m at the season-opening Doha Diamond League last week and will be looking to continue his preparations towards his world title defense in Budapest, Hungary later this year with a victory over his main rivals.
However, before thinking about the blockbuster race in Rabat, Omanyala must first battle a strong field at the World Athletics Gold Continental Tour, Absa Kip Keino Classic, in Nairobi on Saturday.
He faces the challenge of America’s Marvin Bracy, his compatriot Kenneth Bednarek, and Canada’s Aaron Brown, among others at Kasarani.
Jacobs, on the other hand, has not competed in the Diamond League since 2021 in Monaco, just before his surprise victory at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Reigning Diamond League champion Trayvon Bromell, Jamaica’s Yohan Blake, Canada’s Andre De Grasse, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, Botswana’s fast-rising youngster Letsile Tebogo, and local star Chakir Machmour are also in the field in Rabat.
