Stockholm, July 30 (IANS) Reigning world 110 metres hurdles champion David Oliver of the United States revealed his ambition to win the Diamond Race title ahead of the meet here.
“I’ve been running fairly well in the Diamond League. I’m leading at the moment and I hope to win the series. That is my ultimate goal,” said the 33-year-old on Wednesday, reports Xinhua.
Oliver has grabbed two victories in the Diamond League so far this season, in Shanghai and New York, and has accumulated 11 points to stand atop the standings. France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, Cuba’s Orlando Ortega and Oliver’s countryman Jason Richardson are joint second-ranked chasers with six points each.
If Oliver can replicate his 2013 victory here, he will stand a big chance to win the race as a podium finish at the season’s final in Zurich would be good enough for him to seal the deal.
“It’s always great to be back in Stockholm. I have good memories of competing here. Paris was the first time I’ve been under 13 seconds since 2011. I do feel I’m one of the most consistent performers around. I pride myself on that,” said Oliver, who holds a 12.98 season best when he finished second behind Ortega in Paris.
In Stockholm, Oliver will face a tough challenge as Ortega has also set the Diamond League title as his top goal for 2015.
“My focus is to win the Diamond League. That would be my gold medal for the year,” said Ortega, who turned 24 on Wednesday.
The Olympic sixth-placer explained that he was clear to represent Spain in competitions but would not be able to participate in the World Championships in Beijing next month.
“It’s always been a dream to compete for Spain since I left Cuba. I hope for the best going forward. I knew it would be impossible to compete in Beijing but I hope to compete in Rio Olympics,” he said.
