Will Caster win it like clockwork in star-studded Zurich race?

TWO OF South Africa’s newly-crowned world champions Caster Semenya and Luvo Manyonga will be looking to extend their impressive unbeaten runs with Diamond League titles in Zurich tonight.

The dynamic duo will spearhead South Africa’s charge with six more of their compatriots featuring.

Treble world champion Semenya could claim an unprecedented 20th major victory in a final on the trot and retain the Diamond Trophy she won in 2016.

Semenya has not lost a two-lap race since September 2015, in the ISTAF Berlin meeting, highlighting her dominance in the event over the last two years.

Manyonga, in turn, will be looking to finish his season having gone unbeaten for a full year since finishing second at the Rio Olympic Games.

Seven SA athletes will be in line to win Diamond League trophies, including London world championship long-jump bronze medallist Ruswahl Samaai and 100m finalist Akani Simbine.

Simbine will be looking for redemption after he had to be content with fifth at a major championship for the second consecutive year.

The South African speedster will line up against reigning world champion Justin Gatlin of the US.

Long jumpers Manyonga and Samaai will be joined by former national record-holder Khotso Mokoena, the only other South African to have won a Diamond Race season’s title.

Semenya will once again line up against perennial challenger Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and former world champion Eunice Sum of Kenya.

SA men’s 400m hurdles record-holder LJ van Zyl considers the Zurich Diamond League final his world championships after he was controversially left out of the national team for the global showpiece.

Van Zyl’s roommate in Zurich, Pieter Conradie will feature in the 400m final after double champion Wayde van Niekerk pulled out of the race due to a persistent back injury.

Conradie had to travel from the far side of the world to get to Switzerland after flying to Taipei for the World Student Games. The jet-setting one-lap sprinter arrived in Zurich on Tuesday.

Women’s 400m hurdles ace Wenda Nel will round off the SA contingent where she will be lining up in a non-Diamond League race. 8.05pm - women’s 400m hurdles (Wenda Nel), 8.45pm - men’s long jump (Ruswahl Samaai, Luvo Manyonga and Khotso Mokoena), 8.49pm - 400m men’s hurdles (LJ van Zyl), 8.58pm - women’s 800m (Caster Semenya), 9.08pm - men’s 100m (Akani Simbine), 9.43pm - men’s 400m (Pieter Conradie)