More big names confirmed for Shanghai Diamond League

The Shanghai Diamond League has enlisted four more big names in the track and field world, the event’s organizers said on Thursday.

World 110m hurdling champion and Olympic silver medalist Jason Richardson, world and Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, 2012 Olympic long-jump champion Greg Rutherford, and world and Olympic 5,000m gold medalist Meseret Defar will compete at the meet in Shanghai Stadium on May 18.

Earlier, Shanghai Golden Grand Prix Co, the event’s organizer, announced a big-name crew including sprint hurdler Aries Merritt, world 100m champion and Olympic silver medalist Yohan Blake, world and Olympic 400m champion Kirani James, world junior and Olympic javelin champion Keshorn Walcott and pole-vault legend Yelena Isinbayeva.

But Blake is set to miss the game in Shanghai because of an injury and a recovery process that’s been slower than expected.

China’s star hurdler Liu Xiang, a fixture at the event, will also skip this year’s meet as he recovers from the right Achilles tendon injury he sustained at the 2012 London Olympics.