Confident Aaron Brown ready to take on De Grasse, Lyles in stacked Diamond League Final

Aaron Brown remembers coming off the corner well and battling reigning world champion Ramil Guliyev for second spot at last year's Diamond League Final as defending 200-metre champion Noah Lyles started to pull away on the straightaway in Zurich.

"I started getting tight, pressing a little at 150 [metres] and breaking form," says Brown, who finished fourth in 20.14 seconds. "Stay in the same position coming off the curve, be disciplined enough to keep form, relax and carry the momentum I build off the curve."

That is the 2019 Canadian champion's game plan entering Friday's 43rd Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, the second of this year's two Diamond League Finals that will be live streamed at CBCSports.ca, starting at 2 p.m. ET.

In 2009, current world-record holder Usain Bolt ran 19.57 in Brussels, two years before fellow Jamaican Yohan Blake stormed to a 19.26 winning time and Diamond League record.

"I've been running in Lane 3 lately which is pretty tight for me as a taller runner," says the 27-year-old Brown. "But on a wider turn [in Brussels] I can replicate like I'm running straight and that's when you can run a fast curve."

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Strong finishes

In the 200, the Toronto native has been particularly satisfied with his finish the past three or four races, dating back to a season-best 19.95 on July 5 at a Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland. Brown spent the early part of this season focused on the final 50 metres that was his nemesis a year ago.

"I just have to put both [phases] together," Brown says, noting he's close to full health after suffering a minor strain in his right hip flexor.

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A key to the Florida resident's success this season that includes two Diamond League victories in the 200 and a Canadian title is striking a balance away from the track that Brown says helps keep his mind at ease. He recently became engaged to longtime girlfriend Preeya Milburn.

"When you're caught up in wanting to be successful at world championships and the Olympics," he says, "you can get fixated on trying to be the best, but it's good to have other things going on outside of that one focus. I've found that having that balance is key to staying present."

On Friday, Brown will be part of a nine-man field that could be nearly as stacked as the 200 at the world championships later this month in Doha, Qatar.

When I competed, one of the things I did was use the Diamond League to perfect my race ... and it seems that is what Noah is doing this year.— CBC Sports track analyst Donovan Bailey on top 200-metre runner Noah Lyles

Leading the way is Noah Lyles, who responded to a June 6 loss to fellow American Michael Norman at the Diamond League's Golden Gala in Rome with a 2019 world-leading and personal-best time of 19.50 a month later in Lausanne. The 22-year-old ran 19.65 on Aug. 24 in Paris and won last year's Diamond Trophy and $50,000 US top prize with a 19.67 clocking to beat Guliyev.

"When I competed," says CBC Sports track analyst Donovan Bailey, "one of the things I did was use the Diamond League to perfect my race … and it seems this is what Noah is doing this year. He's coming back to the old school way of working and grinding on your craft every race in order to peak [at worlds]."

Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., has enjoyed a strong return from hamstring injuries each of the past two years to test Brown, his friend and track rival. They have split two races in the 100 and 200 this season, with De Grasse prevailing in Sunday's 100 at the IAAF Berlin World Challenge in a season-best 9.97. Brown was fourth in 10.08.

'Norman can beat this entire field,' says Bailey

Adds Brown: "It was good to have Commonwealth Games early last year to get a taste of an extended season. Towards the end it felt as though I was running on fumes, but I feel fresh now. I've had more down time and was smart with my race schedule."

Ecuador's Alex Quinonez, with five wins and 10 podium finishes in 11 races this season, Guliyev and Norman, a specialist in the 400, are others to watch in Friday's race, scheduled for 2:37 p.m. ET.

"Norman can beat this entire field," says Bailey. "[Friday's race] is simply speed work for him [to train for the 400 at worlds]. If there's good weather, it should be an amazing race."

Bailey's predicted order of finish: 1) Lyles 2) Norman 3) De Grasse 4) Brown

Other Canadians competing in Brussels:

WATCH | Gabriela DeBues-Stafford breaks 4 minutes in 1,500m:

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Gabriela Debues-Stafford finished third and became the first-ever Canadian woman to break the 4-minute mark in the women's 1,500-metre race, with a time of 3:59.59.

DeBues-Stafford, 23, clocked a 14:51.59 PB for a national record in her lone 5,000 of 2019 on May 30 in her Diamond League season debut at Stockholm.

Crystal Emmanuel, women's 100 (2:12 p.m.): The 27-year-old from Toronto and DeBues-Stafford are the only Canadians to compete in different events at both Diamond League Finals this year. Emmanuel ran a season-best 22.87 seconds a week ago in Zurich coming off a fourth-place performance at the Pan Am Games. She boasts an 11.16 season-best in the 100 and is likely to race in both events at world championships.

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Canada's Crystal Emmanuel reacts to finishing seventh in the women's 200-metre Diamond League final.

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Alysha Newman cleared 4.82 metres to finish third and set a new national record.

The 25-year-old, who missed last year's Diamond League Final due to injury, was third in 2017 and will attempt to unseat three-time defending Diamond League champ Katerina Stefanidi of Greece on Friday.