Diamond League: Barber faces Olympic medallists after Rio letdown
Canadian pole vaulter tries to rebound in Lausanne from 10th-place finish in Rio
A sunny forecast with little wind in Lausanne, Switzerland combined with a short turnaround in competition could work in Shawn Barber's favour at Thursday's Diamond League track and field meet (CBCSports.ca, 2 p.m. ET).
The Toronto pole vaulter will try to rebound from a forgettable Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro, where the medal favourite finished 10th on a soggy and windy Aug. 15 evening.
After clearing 5.50 metres, Barber missed all three attempts at 5.65, shuffling his strides on his final approach and failing to get enough depth on the bar at the Olympic Stadium.
"I just couldn't find that rhythm," the 2015 world champion told CBC Sports. "You just try to adjust to the wind and the rain and the different conditions, and we're all out there making guesses as to what's going to work."
"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rio2016?src=hash">#Rio2016</a> was disappointing because I was in good shape leading up to the Olympics" <a href="https://twitter.com/vaultbarber">@vaultbarber</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LausanneDL?src=hash">#LausanneDL</a> <a href="https://t.co/D7j0s6nWpN">pic.twitter.com/D7j0s6nWpN</a>
—@Diamond_LeagueBarber, 22, might be able to escape bad weather at Thursday's event scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET (live streaming at cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports app) but not a strong field, headlined by France's Renaud Lavillenie and American Sam Kendricks, the silver and bronze medallists in Rio.
Lavillenie shocked in Rio
Lavillenie, with a season-best 5.98, reached that height in Brazil but bowed to 22-year-old Brazilian Thiago Braz da Silva, who cleared an Olympic record 6.03. Kendricks reached 5.85 and boasts a season best of 5.92.
Outside of the Olympics, Barber hasn't faced Lavillenie since mid-June in Stockholm, where he finished second to the 2012 Olympic champion for a third-straight Diamond League meet. In late July, the Canadian was a late scratch due to illness at Diamond League London where Lavillenie cleared 5.90 for the win.
The Frenchman is 6-0 versus Barber this season and 12-2 overall.
Here's a breakdown of the Canadian content:
Melissa Bishop: The native of Eganville, Ont., will attempt to shake off the disappointment of Rio, where Bishop finished fourth in the women's 800 metres, missing a bronze medal by 13-100ths of a second. Still, the 28-year-old lowered her Canadian record with a time of one minute 57.02 seconds. Thursday's race is slated for 2:35 p.m. ET (live streaming at cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports app).
Aaron Brown: It was a bittersweet Olympics in Rio for the 24-year-old from Toronto. Brown failed to qualify for the men's 200 final, placing 16th of 24 runners in the semis with a time of 20.37 seconds, far off the personal-best 9.96 he ran on June 11. But on Aug. 19, Brown was part of the 4x100 relay team that ran a Canadian record 37.64 and took home a bronze medal after the United States was disqualified for an illegal baton exchange. Thursday's race is scheduled for 3:52 p.m. ET (live streaming at cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports app).
Don't sleep on <a href="https://twitter.com/KingsleySC">@KingsleySC</a> . He has all the potential in the world that just needs to be unleashed 🙏🏽
—@TySkinnChristabel Nettey: The 25-year-old from Surrey, B.C., aggravated a back injury on the long flight to Rio and placed 20th overall in long jump with a best jump of 6.37 metres, missing the final. The medal contender jumped a season-best 6.75 at Diamond League Shanghai in May after setting a Canadian mark of 6.99 last year in Eugene, Oregon. Thursday's event is set for 3 p.m. ET (live streaming at cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports app).
Here are some notable matchups in Lausanne:
Middle-distance runners in spotlight
Kenya's Asbel Kiprop will headline the men's 1,000 at 3:43 p.m. ET (live streaming at cbcsports.ca, CBC Sports app). Expect the three-time world champion to be on a mission after he stormed to the lead in the final lap on Saturday but inexplicably eased off, faded down the stretch and missed the Olympic podium. The gold medal went to American Matthew Centrowitz, who will be in Thursday's field of 14.
"I don't want revenge on <a href="https://twitter.com/MattCentrowitz">@MattCentrowitz</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/athletissima">@athletissima</a>, it's just sport, somebody has to win" <a href="https://twitter.com/KipropAsbel">@KipropAsbel</a> <a href="https://t.co/W6NA9eU3b4">pic.twitter.com/W6NA9eU3b4</a>
—@Diamond_League"I don't think I have a target on my back, even after my success this season" <a href="https://twitter.com/MattCentrowitz">@MattCentrowitz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LausanneDL?src=hash">#LausanneDL</a> <a href="https://t.co/2lz35AwGOt">pic.twitter.com/2lz35AwGOt</a>
—@Diamond_LeagueOn the women's side, Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibabe, the world record holder in the 1,500, will run the 3,000 after winning a silver medal in Rio. She'll probably face a stern test from the Kenyan tandem of Hellen Obiri and Mercy Cherono, who finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 5,000 at the Olympics.
Diamond League on CBC Sports
CBC Sports is provided 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 on CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports app:
- Lausanne (Thursday, 2 p.m. ET)
- Paris (Saturday, 2 p.m. ET)
- Zurich (Sept. 1, 2 p.m. ET)
- Brussels (Sept. 9, 2 p.m. ET)