Britain’s Dasaolu to take on favourite Gatlin in Diamond League opener

The focus of the Athletics' world will fall on Doha tomorrow, as the opening fixture in the lucrative Diamond League is held in Qatar. It kicks off what promises to be an adrenalin-rush of a season in the build up to Beijing's World Championships. Star-billing in the August showpiece seems certain to be the men's 100m final, with early favourite Justin Gatlin being among the entrants in Doha.

Britain's European 100m champion, James Dasaolu also gets an early opportunity to see how his winter preparations have gone, as he takes on last year's world leader.

Asafa Powell has set early world lead

The gauntlet for the top sprinters has already been thrown down by the Jamaican Asafa Powell. Competing at the weekend in Kingston, the former world record holder set a world's best time of 9.84 seconds for the 100m. Behind him were a host of fast times, as Ryan Bailey and Nesta Carter also both went under 10 seconds.

32-year-old Powell (like Gatlin) has recently served a ban, which he served last year, as the sport continues its ongoing battle against the drug cheats.

Despite many sports' fans distrusting the legitimacy of many of the sprint times at present, the event still offers up some of the biggest clashes on the circuit. Many fans will be looking forward eagerly to the likely clash between the likes of Gatlin, Powell and the great man himself, Usain Bolt in Beijing.

Dasaolu is among those looking to gate-crash the party this season. The 27-year-old has declared himself to be in great shape and, if he can improve on his personal best form of 9.91 seconds from 2013, shouldn't be too far away against the big boys this year. Much will rest on him steering clear of injuries though, something that has sadly blighted his athletics' career so far.

Gatlin will no doubt be in determined mood in Doha, after the recent news that he will be stripped of his silver medal from the 4x100m relay event at London 2012.

Following Tyson Gay's positive drug test, the American squad that had originally finished second to the Bolt-led Jamaicans have been disqualified. The IOC have confirmed that the quartet that raced in the final, plus those who ran in the heats, will all have to hand their medals back.

Mo Farah to contest the 3000m

Doha promises several top clashes across the packed programme. Britain's double Olympic champion Mo Farah is set to race in the 3000m, where he may go close to the European record of 7:26.62, currently held by Belgium's Mohammed Mourit. The organisers have assembled a quality field to take him on though, with the two Ethiopians Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yenew Alamirew likely to take some beating.

Competitive 800m expected

A quick race is expected in the men's 800m, where the world champion indoors and outdoors, Mohammed Aman is set to battle against the world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop. Ethiopia against Kenya is always a keen rivalry over the middle and long distance events.

Stars on the women's side

On the women's side, the 1500m should see rivalries renewed between two former Ethiopians, Sweden's Abeba Aregawi and the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan. The pair battled it out for European gold last year in Zurich, before Hassan took the honours. She also ran the world's fastest time last year, but Aregawi should not be discounted as the reigning world indoor and outdoor champion at the event.