News17 Jun 2011


Rudisha’s return but one of the expected highlights in Lausanne - Samsung Diamond League

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Another 2010 Samsung Diamond League 800m victory for David Rudisha, this time in Lausanne (© Deca Text&Bild)

Lausanne, Switzerland – With just two weeks to go before the 36th edition of Lausanne’s Athletissima, the entry lists for the seventh stop of this year’s Samsung Diamond League series is shaping into one of the finest ever assembled at this Swiss meeting.


Fans of the middle distances will certainly get their money’s worth on Thursday 30 June. Firstly, the men’s 800m promises a race of fire! After tending to minor injuries earlier this season, World record holder and 2010 Athlete of the Year David Rudisha will return to Samsung Diamond League action. The 22-year-old Kenyan returns to the track in Nancy, France, on 24 June to hone his final preparation before returning to Lausanne where he won last year in 1:43.25 beating World champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa and Alfre Kirwa Yego of Kenya. Both will be in the field again this year, along with European champion Marcin Lewandowski of Poland who appears in great shape.


Meanwhile, never in the meeting’s history has such a range of men’s 5000m been assembled. The confrontation includes Ethiopians Imane Merga and Tariku Bekele taking on a Kenyan quintet comprising of Vincent Chepkok, Augustin Choge, Mark Kiptoo, Lucas Rotich and Edwin Soi, all authors of sub-13 minute performances. The meeting record set by Sammy Kipketer (13:01.93) 11 years ago will be in danger.


Then there is L.J. van Zyl in the 400m Hurdles. This season the South Africa has dominated his specialty, running under 48 seconds four times, and twice in 47.66. But his supremacy will be tested yet again by Kerron Clement, Javier Culson and Bershawn Jackson, the top-three from the 2009 World Championships. Most recently, Culson ended van Zyl’s 2011 unbeaten streak in New York. Reigning European champion David Greene of Great Britain will also be in the race.


On the women's side, American Brittney Reese, the reigning World champion in the Long Jump, will take on Latvian Ineta Radevic, the reigning European champion.


And in the women’s 1500m, the struggle for victory promises to be intense. Maryam Jamal, whose won three times, will take on arch rival Gelete Burka of Ethiopia who won here in the last two editions, and Ibtissam Lakhouad, the Moroccan beaten at the wire last year. These are three of the four women who have run under four minutes in la Pontaise stadium.


Samsung Diamond League


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