By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The World Athletics Outdoor Championships are scheduled for July 15-24 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore.

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The following are 10 male athletes to keep an eye on, with no more than one competitor per country being highlighted:

Yohan Blake

Although American Justin Gatlin holds a record for global sprinters that might never be matched with a 12-year gap in between winning World titles in the 100-meter dash, when he captured gold in 2017 in London after securing his first championship in 2005 in Helsinki, the 32-year-old Jamaican standout Blake is also looking to turn back the clock in Eugene. Despite the Americans’ depth, with Christian Coleman entering the meet as the reigning World gold medalist and Fred Kerley the global leader at 9.76 seconds along with securing the U.S. title June 24, Blake is running his fastest times in a decade. The 2011 World champion in South Korea, Blake clocked a wind-legal 9.85 on June 24 at the Jamaican Trials in Kingston, his first sub-9.90 performance since 2012. Lamont Marcell Jacobs, the reigning Olympic gold medalist from Italy, has endured an injury-plagued season, and Usain Bolt is no longer overshadowing his Jamaican peers, giving Blake an opportunity to challenge the American quartet of Marvin Bracy, Trayvon Bromell, Coleman and Kerley, as well as improved Kenyan standout Ferdinand Omanyala for his second career 100 title. Blake, equal to the second-fastest competitor in history at 9.69, might have to approach that mark again in order to prevail.

Max Burgin

Great Britain hasn’t earned a World Championships medal in the men’s 800 meters since Peter Elliott secured silver in 1987 in Rome, but the opportunity to end the drought has become a realistic possibility with the improvement of the 20-year-old Burgin. His world-leading 1:43.52 performance June 14 in Finland elevated Burgin to the No. 4 all-time British competitor, trailing only current World Athletics President Sebastian Coe, along with Steve Cram and Elliott. Burgin’s effort was the fastest by a British athlete since 1990 and made him one of six entries in Eugene to produce a sub-1:44 mark this year, along with Kenya’s Wycliffe Kinyamal Kisasy (1:43.54), Canada’s Marco Arop (1:43.61), Morocco’s Moad Zahafi (1:43.61), Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati (1:43.69) and France’s Benjamin Robert (1:43.75). With the fitness level of 2019 World champion Donavan Brazier of the United States uncertain, several challengers have emerged to capture the title, along with 17-year-old Kenyan Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:44.01), the reigning Under-20 gold medalist.

Kristjan Ceh

The glasses worn by the 23-year-old discus thrower might give the impression that he looks the part of track and field’s Clark Kent. But with three 70-meter performances this season, Ceh is quickly developing into a Slovenian Superman, along with an athlete that has the potential to secure only the second World title in any event in his country’s history. Sweden’s Daniel Stahl is the defending World and Olympic champion with the top global mark this year at 234-5 (71.47m), but Ceh has prevailed in five of six head-to-head meetings in the past four months, including a lifetime-best 233-10 (71.27m) performance May 21 in Birmingham, England. It marks the first time since 2008 that a pair of athletes have both produced 71-meter marks in the same season. Primoz Kozmus is the only Slovenian athlete to secure a World title, capturing the hammer throw crown in 2009 in Berlin. After finishing 31st overall at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Ceh improved to fifth place at the Tokyo Olympics and continues to gain valuable experience in preparation to compete against reigning World Under-20 gold medalist Mykolas Alekna, the collegiate record holder at Cal, as well as another Lithuanian athlete in Andrius Gudzius, plus Lukas Weisshaidinger of Austria, all of whom have surpassed the 69-meter mark this year.

Joshua Cheptegei

The consistency demonstrated in global championship competition by the 25-year-old world-record holder from Uganda has been exceptional, finishing no worse than second in any race at a 5,000-meter or 10,000-meter distance since 2017 at events including the Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games, as well as achieving a cross country gold medal in 2019 at the 10-kilometer final in Denmark. After winning the 10,000 championship in 2019 in Doha, Cheptegei attempted the impressive distance double by pursuing a pair of titles last year in Tokyo. He captured his first Olympic gold medal in the 5,000 and finished second behind Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega in the 10,000 by a 27:43.22 to 27;43.63 margin. Cheptegei is entered in both events in Eugene, looking to become the first male athlete to secure double gold since Mo Farah of Great Britain achieved the feat in both 2013 and 2015. Both fields are incredibly deep, with Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir running a world-leading 12:46.33 in the 5,000 on June 9 in Italy, and Cheptegei among 10 athletes with sub-13 performances this year. Grant Fisher is the world leader this year in the 10,000 at 26:33.84, but fellow American Joe Klecker prevailed May 27 at the U.S. final at Hayward Field. Canada’s Moh Ahmed has run 26:34.14 and is looking to add a 10,000 medal to his 5,000 bronze from 2019, with Cheptegei looking to join all-time greats Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Farah with multiple World 10,000 titles.

Ryan Crouser

The most dominant shot putter in history, with two Olympic titles and the world record on his resume, is still seeking his first World Championships gold medal, indoors or outdoors, and there would be no more fitting stage for Crouser than to finally earn that victory in his home state. Crouser, 29, attended Barlow High in Gresham, and represents a family of elite throwers and some of the most accomplished prep athletes ever to compete in Oregon. Although Crouser secured another Olympic gold in Tokyo, he had a streak of 26 consecutive victories snapped in March at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia, with Darlan Romani of Brazil capturing the title. Crouser hasn’t lost in four outdoor competitions, including another U.S. title June 24 at Hayward Field by producing a series with three 23-meter performances. His world record of 76-8.25 (23.37m) also occurred at Hayward Field at last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials, but with two-time World gold medalist Joe Kovacs and 2017 champion Tom Walsh of New Zealand also in the field, in addition to Romani, Crouser might have to top that mark to finally secure the championship. There has never been a competition anywhere in the world with multiple 23-meter performers, but after Kovacs won in Doha in 2019 with a 75-2 (22.91m) effort to edge Crouser and Walsh, both at 75-1.50 (22.90m), expect more history among them at Hayward Field.

Alison dos Santos

After capturing the Olympic bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles at age 21, the Brazilian standout not only enters the meet as the world leader at 46.80 seconds, but also perhaps the healthiest among the three leading contenders. Norway’s Karsten Warholm, the two-time World champion and Olympic gold medalist as well as the fastest athlete in event history at 45.94 seconds, suffered a hamstring tear June 5 in Rabat and hasn’t raced since. Warholm has confirmed his intent to compete in Eugene and remains encouraged about his rehabilitation, but hasn’t completed a 400 hurdles race since September. American Rai Benjamin, the second-fastest all-time competitor at 46.17 in addition to being an Olympic and World silver medalist, also battled a sore hamstring during his three rounds June 24-26 at the USATF Championships. Brazil is still seeking its first World Championships medal in either gender in the 400 hurdles, with dos Santos’ performance June 30 in Stockholm, as well as his May 28 victory at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, providing the ideal indications that he is ready to challenge for global supremacy. His third-place effort in Tokyo was 46.72, making him the No. 3 competitor in history, and his victory in Sweden helped dos Santos join Warholm and Benjamin as the only athletes with multiple sub-47 performances. Americans Trevor Bassitt (47.47) and Khallifah Rosser (47.65) have strong potential to reach the final, but will need significant improvements to place themselves in medal contention.

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis

Challenging wind conditions for pole vaulters at Hayward Field might be the biggest opponent for Duplantis in the Swedish star’s pursuit for his first World outdoor gold medal, following his Olympic championship in Tokyo and global indoor crown in March in Serbia. Duplantis, 22, has redefined excellence in the event, winning 15 consecutive competitions, producing a 6-meter clearance in 13 of them, including the World outdoor all-time mark of 20-2.50 (6.16m) on June 30 in Stockholm after achieving the absolute global performance of 20-4 (6.20m) to punctuate his World Indoor title. Duplantis has achieved 45 6-meter clearances in his career, but prevailed May 27 at the Prefontaine Classic with a 19-4.75 (5.91m) effort, as Hayward Field has not showcased a 6-meter performance since France’s Renaud Lavillenie achieved a 19-10.25 (6.05m) height in 2015. The best clearance ever produced on American soil is 19-10.50 (6.06m) by Sam Kendricks in 2019 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, with Duplantis also looking to add those achievements to his resume after growing up in Louisiana. American Chris Nilsen is the only other athlete in the field to achieve a 6-meter clearance this year, including 19-10.25 indoors in March in France, but the Olympic silver medalist will likely need a lifetime-best effort to present a significant challenge to Duplantis, along with Brazilian Thiago Braz da Silva, EJ Obiena of the Philippines and Germany’s Bo Kanda Lita Baehre.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen

With a third-place finish by older brother Filip Ingebrigtsen at the 2017 World Championships in London, Norway captured its first 1,500-meter global medal, but Jakob Ingebrigtsen wanted more and at age 20, captured the Olympic title in Tokyo. Ingebrigtsen prevailed against 2019 World champion Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya, demonstrating he had the potential to capture several global medals during his career. Following a world indoor 1,500 record in February in France by clocking 3:30.60, eclipsing the 2019 mark of 3:31.04 achieved by Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera, Ingebrigtsen secured a silver medal in March at the World Indoor Championships in Serbia, being edged in the final by Tefera by a 3:32.77 to 3:33.02 margin. Both Cheruiyot and Tefera, along with world leader Abel Kipsang of Kenya (3:31.01) and Olympic bronze medalist Josh Kerr of Great Britain are all scheduled to be part of the 1,500 field, along with Australia’s Ollie Hoare, who challenged Ingebrigtsen in an exceptional mile race June 16 at the Bislett Games in Norway. Ingebrigtsen prevailed by a 3:46.46 to 3:47.48 margin to ascend to the No. 6 all-time competitor. He is also entered in the 5,000, looking to showcase the range as one of only two athletes in history to run sub-3:30 in the 1,500, sub-7:30 in the 3,000 and sub-12:50 in the 5,000, along with Kenya’s Daniel Komen.

Anderson Peters

There hasn’t been a repeat World champion in the men’s javelin throw since legend Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic in 1993 and 1995, but the 24-year-old star from Grenada demonstrated he is more than capable of becoming only the second competitor in meet history to collect back-to-back gold medals following his world-leading 305-4 (93.07m) performance May 13 in Doha that helped him ascend to the No. 5 all-time performer. Peters needed only a 285-1 (86.89m) effort to triumph at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, but with Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic throwing 298-2 (90.88m) to place second in Qatar two months ago, it could require a 90-meter performance just to make the podium. Neeraj Chopra of India, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, achieved a personal-best 295-1 (89.94m) mark June 30 in Sweden, the same meet Peters produced a winning effort of 296-3 (90.31m). Finland’s Oliver Helander, Germany’s Julian Weber and Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago have all surpassed the 89-meter mark this season, with American Curtis Thompson building momentum July 9 with a lifetime-best 287-8 (87.70m) that has also placed him in medal contention.

Damian Warner

Following decathlon bronze medals in 2013 in Moscow and 2019 in Doha, along with a silver medal in 2015 Beijing as well as a fifth-place finish in 2017 in London, the 32-year-old Canadian has been one of the most consistent competitors at global championship events. But Warner is enjoying the best stretch of his career, including a decathlon gold medal last year in Tokyo and the World Indoor championship in the heptathlon in March in Serbia, leaving only the outdoor title in Oregon to complete the career trifecta. With American Garrett Scantling, the world leader at 8,867 points, unable to compete as a result of an injury, Warner enters as the favorite to capture the first World decathlon title for his country. Kyle Garland, the collegiate record holder representing Georgia at 8,720 points, is looking to help the U.S. remain in medal contention in Scantling’s absence. He is entered along with NCAA Division 1 indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon winner Ayden Owens-Delerme of Arkansas at 8.528 points, competing for Puerto Rico. Perhaps the most intriguing opposition for Warner could be 2017 gold medalist and world-record holder Kevin Mayer of France, who accumulated 9,126 points in 2018, in addition to reigning World champion Niklas Kaul of Germany and his personal-best 8,691 points.