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Sydney McLaughlin to make Diamond League debut

Shanghai is hosting Andre De Grasse, Aaron Brown, Gen Lalonde and Sydney McLaughlin

American Sydney McLaughlin is running her Diamond League debut this Saturday in Shanghai. The 19-year-old runner is racing the 400m against a very strong field including Olympic silver medallist and former world champion Stephenie Ann McPherson, and world championship silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser.

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RELATED: Sydney McLaughlin opens outdoor season in men’s race

In the men’s 200m, Aaron Brown and Andre De Grasse are going head-to-head. De Grasse is the Canadian record-holder and 2017 Canadian champion, and Brown is the defending Canadian champion over the distance.

The women’s steeplechase is also a packed race. Canadian 3,000m steeplechase record-holder Gen Lalonde is in the field and running against some of the best in the world. Lalonde is opening her 2019 outdoor season in Shanghai, coming off of a long stint at altitude. She’ll line up against world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Celliphine Chepteek Chespol and 2018 NACAC champion Mel Lawrence.

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Lalonde is coming off an extremely impressive cross-country season. She finished 20th at the World Cross-Country Championships in Denmark, and was the first North American woman across the line ahead of huge track and field names like World Championship silver medallist and American steeplechase record-holder Courtney Frerichs. Lalonde was the highest Canadian female finisher at a World Cross-Country event since 2004.

RELATED: Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech takes wrong turn during world 3,000m steeplechase

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Meet schedule 

Women’s 400m – 7:36 a.m. ET
Men’s 200m – 7:45 a.m. ET
Women’s steeplechase – 8:34 a.m. ET

RELATED: Gen Lalonde had the highest Canadian World XC finish in 15 years

CBC is live-streaming all Diamond League meets for 2019 on their website.

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