Watch the Diamond League track & field meet from Rome

Click on the video player above beginning on Friday at 3 p.m. ET to watch live action from the Diamond League track and field meet in Rome, Italy.

There will be no shortage of star power at the Diamond League circuit's latest stop, the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome.

The Stadio Olimpico will host 14 events that will award Diamond League points and the lineup includes 11 Olympic champions, 15 Diamond League champions, and a total of 62 medallists from the Olympics and world championships.

Here are some of the key events to watch for when the event begins in the Italian capital on Friday at 3 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem:

The start list for this contest includes Tokyo Olympic silver medallist and Paris 2024 bronze medallist Fred Kerley of the United States, as well as fellow Americans Trayvon Bromell, Courtney Lindsay, and Brandon Hicklin.

The 4:38 p.m. ET race will also feature Italy's Filippo Tortu and Chituru Ali, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, Japan's Abdul Hakim Sani Brown, and Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme.

Watch all the action from Diamond League in Rome beginning on Friday at 3 p.m. ET on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. Click here for the full broadcast schedule.

This season's world lead in the 100 is held by American Kenny Bednarek, who ran to a time of s 9.86 seconds at the Grand Slam Track stop in Philadelphia last weekend.

Bednarek joined Trackside hosts Perdita Felicien and Aaron Brown this week to talk about his newfound confidence, Grand Slam Track's success so far, and his goals for this season.

WATCH | Kenny Bednarek joins Trackside:

The American sprinter discusses what has led to his improved 100m, Grand Slam Track's success so far and his goals for this season.

This event begins features two double Olympic champions, Valarie Allman of the U.S. and Croatia's Sandra Elkasevic-Perkovic.

Also competing are three world champions: American Laulauga Tausaga, Cuba's Yaimé Perez, and China's Feng Bin. Italy's Daisy Osakue, Germans Kristin Pudenz and Marike Steinacker, Jorinde Van Klinken of the Netherlands, and Sweden's Vanessa Kamga will also be in action.

Two world record holders headline the field of 18 runners in the women's 5,000m (3:31 p.m. ET): Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay owns the fastest time in the 5,000 (14:00.21), while Kenya's Beatrice Chebet has the record in the 10,000 (28:54.14).

A trio of Olympic champions will compete in the men's 400m in Rome: Paris 2024 winner Quincy Hall of the U.S., London 2012 champion Kirani James of Grenada, and American Vernon Norwood, who's a two-time Olympic gold medallist in the 4x400m relay.

Also lining up for the 3:59 p.m. ET race are South Africa's Zakithi Nene, Botswana's Collen Kebinatshipi, Belgium's Alexander Doom, Great Britain's Charlie Dobson, Hungary's Attila Molnar, and Italy's Edoardo Scotti.

For more information on athletics events streaming live on CBC Sports this season, click here to see the full broadcast schedule.

WATCH | Trackside examines the biggest moments from Diamond League Rabat:

Hosts Perdita Felicien and Aaron Brown give their take on Letsile Tebogo's injury, Beatrice Chebet's 3,000m race, and Christopher Morales Williams outdoor season debut.