Donovan Bailey: Ronnie Baker among many strong candidates trying to fill Usain Bolt's shoes

As strong as Ronnie Baker has run in a season that includes two Diamond League victories, remaining consistent will be paramount in his pursuit to succeed the retired Usain Bolt as the world's fastest 100-metre runner.

That is the belief of 1996 Olympic 100 champion Donovan Bailey, who points out that the American sprinter is one of five in Saturday's eight-man field with a chance to win at the meeting de Paris, which will be broadcast on CBC-TV and live streamed at CBCSports.ca starting at 2 p.m. ET. The men's 100 is scheduled for 3:52 p.m.

• WATCH LIVE: Meeting de Paris, Saturday at 2 pm ET
• Ronnie Baker blazes to 100m win at Prefontaine Classic

"Ronnie Baker has impressed me by taking what he did indoors [earlier this year], consistently running 6.40 seconds [over 60 metres], and smoothing out his race in the outdoor season," says Bailey. "He's transitioning in the three phases of the 100 and now understands the race isn't over after 60 metres.

"His shoulders stay relaxed and high, he's standing tall and pumping his arms. He has to push forward to ensure he can maintain the velocity he has coming into [the final stretch]. He has to be consistent, and not only physically beat a lot of these athletes, but psychologically and mentally as well."

Baker, who ran a personal best and world-leading 9.93 to win at the Diamond League's Golden Gala in Rome on May 31, has seen four sprinters beat that time in June: Jimmy Vicaut and Zharnel Hughes ran 9.91 while Michael Rodgers and Isiah Young ran 9.92. Vicaut and Rodgers will be in Saturday's field at Charléty Stadium in France.

"There's a lot of talk about who's going to be the next guy," Baker said ahead of the USATF outdoor championships on June 20 in Iowa, where he clocked 9.89 to finish second to U.S. teammate Noah Lyles (world-leading 9.88). "I'm just lucky to be in the conversation."

The No. 3-ranked Vicaut opened the outdoor season running 10-flat at the French Interclubs in Grenoble on May 20 and improved that time with a 9.92 to win the meeting of Marseille on June 16. At the 2015 meeting de Paris, he clocked 9.86 in optimal conditions to match the European record.

"Jimmy's a big kid and can always have a big day," said Bailey of the six-foot French runner. "He's well-loved in France and performs well there, although he hasn't shown that fire when he's competing in North America or at major championships, but he is a 9.80 guy."

Rodgers, according to Bailey, wishes to escape the shadow of reigning world 100 champion Justin Gatlin. He ran 9.89 last week in Iowa, while Gatlin returned from a hamstring injury on June 13 to win the 100 in 10.03 at the 58th Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, but isn't racing in Paris.

China's Su Bingtian and 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Akani Simbine of South Africa also have the ability to push Baker and others for medal positioning in Paris.

Su reclaimed his national record at last week's IAAF World Challenge meeting in Madrid, breezing to victory in 9.91 — the fifth fastest 100 of the year — and equalling the Asian record held by Qatar's Femi Ogunode. Simbine posted his first sub-10-second time of the season at the same meet, clocking 9.98 in his heat before placing third in the final in 10.01.

200m showdown scuttled by Munyai injury

Bailey was also anticipating a close battle between 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Christophe Lemaitre and young standout Clarence Munyai in the men's 200, but the latter will miss the race and the balance of the season with a Grade 2 tear of his right hamstring.

Munyai pulled the hamstring coming off the curve in the semifinal at the Commonwealth Games in April and aggravated the injury in the final when he ran a pedestrian 20.58 seconds to place a distant fourth.

"It was a six-centimetre tear which [doctors] said could take three to four months to heal, depending on how we treat it," Munyai told CBC Sports this week. "It's still painful and I can't run at 80 per cent without discomfort."

The 20-year-old shattered the South African record at the national championships on March 17 in a blistering 19.69 — the 10th fastest in history — and is the world No. 1 in the 200.

"He has huge upside," Bailey said of Munyai. "I love that guy because he's fearless. The one thing you cannot teach is to be fearless. What's incredible about the South African sprinters now is they're establishing themselves like the Jamaicans, Canadians and Brits did [years ago]."

Two Canadians are competing in Paris:

Shawn Barber, men's pole vault (1:32 p.m. ET): The Toronto native will try to build upon his clearance of 5.66 metres in Stockholm three weeks ago, the best of his three Diamond League appearances this season. Barber, 24, cleared 5.65 to win a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in April. His season best is 5.92, set at the Texas Relays on March 31.

Geneviève Lalonde, women's 3,000m steeplechase (2:12 p.m. ET): Lalonde is coming off a victory at the Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, where she crossed the line in a season-best nine minutes 38.84 seconds. The 26-year-old Moncton native battled through a hamstring injury to clock 9:46.68 at the Commonwealth Games. Lalonde set a Canadian record of 9:29.99 at last year's world championships.

Diamond League on CBC Sports

CBC Sports is providing live streaming coverage of all 14 Diamond League meets this season at CBCSports.ca and via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. TV coverage will be featured as part of the network's Road To The Olympic Games weekend broadcasts throughout the season.

The following is a list of upcoming Diamond League meets:

• Paris (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET)
• Lausanne (July 5, 2 p.m. ET)
• Rabat (July 13, 1 p.m. ET)
• Monaco (July 20, 2 p.m. ET)
• London (July 21-22, 10 a.m. ET, 9 a.m.)
• Birmingham (Aug. 18, 3 p.m. ET)
• Zurich (Aug. 30, 2 p.m. ET)
• Brussels (Aug. 31, 2 p.m. ET)