However, the main drama at the AG Memorial Van Damme meeting could occur in the men’s high jump, where four men have the chance to claim the Diamond Trophy - and $40,000 (£33,000$45,000) prize - as overall winners in their event.

In what is the second of the two IAAF Diamond League finals - a week on from the Zurich meeting where half of the 32 titles were decided - just six points separate Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko in first place from Robbie Grabarz of Britain in fourth, with Olympic silver medallist Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and London 2012 silver medallist Erik Kynard of the United States in between.

With double points on offer in the final, meaning winners can add 20 to their total, there is everything to jump for tomorrow evening - and Barshim, who leads this year’s rankings with 2.40m, was in buoyant mood as he looked forward to the prospect today in the stadium where, three years ago, he moved to second on the all-time list with a clearance of 2.43m.

"The conditions were there for the world record, and I think I could have jumped the world record that night, if I hadn’t been so happy with my jump at 2.43," he said.

"Once you’ve done something like that, a wave of satisfaction flows over you, and I was feeling like ‘I’m done’.

"Since then I have had a lot of problems, my body isn’t so strong and I’ve had problems with my knee, my ankle and my back.

"I have had to reduce my training, I have had to cut everything down just to recover, I’ve been jumping off four steps and I am still jumping off four.

"I think I just need time to feel again like I did in Brussels two years ago.

 "Two metres 40 at the first attempt could win the Diamond Race.

"It’s very close with four men in contention, but I think that’s a height that could do it."

Bondarenko, the 2013 world champion, was more downbeat following an ongoing problem with his sinuses.

"I’m getting a lot of pain," he said.

"It’s especially bad when I fly and the changes in the air pressure make it very painful, I might have surgery at the end of the season and this is definitely my last competition of the year."

Drama of a different kind is promised with a race over 600m between Kenya's 800m specialist Nicholas Kipkoech and a solar-powered car that has a top speed of just under 70mph but which - crucially - takes some time to get going.

Six athletes already have a sufficient lead in the Diamond Race to ensure they take their event title in Brussels, where they simply need to compete.

Valerie Adams duly collected a fifth Diamond Trophy in the women's shot put tonight at a competition being staged in the Grand Place, but once again she had to give best to the American who beat her to the Olympic title, Michelle Carter. A second round effort of 19.98m proved enough for Carter to finish the Diamond League season with a win, with Adams taking second place on the night with a best of 19.57.

Olympic triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia is on course for a fourth Trophy, and Kipruto, another Rio winner, is set to reclaim his 2013 title in the men's 3,000m steeplechase.

The 21-year-old Kenyan has yet to run under eight minutes in his career but he is still aiming for the mark of 7:53.63 set by Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Bahrain in Brussels 12 years ago.

Olympic silver medallist Evan Jager of the United States will be aiming to break his own North American record of 8:00.45.

Katerina Stefanidi, the Olympic pole vault champion, and 110m hurdler Orlando Ortega will both win the Diamond Trophy for the first time in their careers, and Alonso Edward has enough points to defend his 200m title from last season.

Ayana, who set a huge world record in winning the Olympic 10,000m title but then fell back to bronze after leading in the 5,000m, is one of three athletes who, while they have not secured their Diamond Trophy, look virtually certain to do so, the others being Poland’s Piotr Malachowski in the men’s discus and Madara Palameika in the women’s javelin.

With a 14-points lead ahead of Kenya’s Hellen Obiri in the 5,000m, Ayana can only lose the trophy if Obiri wins and she finishes outside the top four.

The Ethiopian, who claimed her disappointing 5,000m performance in Rio was down to a stomach upset, is targeting the 5,000m record of 14:11.15 set by her Ethiopian compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba in 2008.

Ayana has already come close to that mark at three IAAF Diamond League outings this year, clocking 14:12.59 in Rome, 14:14.32 in Shangai and 14:16.63 in Rabat, and she now owns three of the six fastest times in history.

In five events, the Diamond Race has come down to a final contest between two athletes. 

In the men's 800m, Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich comes up against Pierre-Ambroise Bosse. 

With only a six-point lead, Rotich will need to finish ahead of his French rival to stay top of the standings.

Asbel Kiprop in the 1500m and Eilidh Doyle in the 400m hurdles are in the same situation, with six-point leads over Elijah Motonei Manangoi and Cassandra Tate respectively, with Kiprop targeting a sub 3.30 time.

In the men's long jump, Xinglong Gao and Fabrice Lapierre are level on 24 points each, with Gao ahead on number of victories. 

In the women's 400m, just three points separate Stephenie-Ann McPherson from Natasha Hastings, meaning whoever finishes higher will win the Diamond Trophy.

The headline duel, though, will be over 100m between Dafne Schippers, the world 200m champion, and Jamaica’s Olympic 100 and 200m champion Elaine Thompson.

Eight points behind Thompson, the Dutchwoman will need to win in Brussels and hope the Olympic champion doesn't come second.