News06 Jun 2017


Taylor, Bowie and Muhammad join Lausanne fields – IAAF Diamond League

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Christian Taylor wins the triple jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne (© Victah Sailor)

World and Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor tops the latest list of stars confirmed for the Athletissima IAAF Diamond League meeting on 6 July in Lausanne.

With a world-leading 18.11m leap in Eugene, Taylor has already proven he is in good shape and that if anyone is to beat Jonathan Edward’s world record of 18.29m some day, that it is him. As the only athlete to have jumped beyond 18 metres four times, he is naturally thinking of this target more and more.

“I want this world record more than anything," said Taylor. "What would really help me is strong competitors."

Taylor seems to like the Lausanne track, having won the event in 2015 by establishing a stadium record of 18.06m. He will face great competition in Lausanne as compatriot Will Claye, the two-time Olympic silver medallist and runner-up in Eugene with a wind-assisted 18.05m leap, will be in Lausanne, as will world silver medallist Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba.

Fast times are expected in the women's 200m. World champion Dafne Schippers will face the fastest athlete of the season so far, Tori Bowie, who recently clocked 21.77. Swiss sprinters Mujinga Kambundji and Sarah Atcho will be hoping to be close to their best. Merlene Ottey’s 22.07 stadium record set in 1995 will be at risk in this race.

In the 400m hurdles, Lea Sprunger will face the best athletes this event has to offer with all three Olympic medallists competing: Olympic champion and 2016 Athletissima winner Dalilah Muhammad, Olympic silver medallist and European champion Sara Slott Petersen of Denmark, and Muhammad's US compatriot and Olympic bronze medallist Ashley Spencer, who clocked a world-leading 53.38 in Eugene. World champion Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic will complete the impressive line-up.

In the women’s high jump, world champion Maria Lasitskene has shown recently that she has no intention of losing her title in London later this summer. Lasitskene, who will compete under a neutral flag, topped a 2.03m world lead in Eugene.

Finally, in the long jump, European champion Ivana Spanovic of Serbia, who won this event at Athletissima last year, will try to replicate her victory.

Organisers for the IAAF

2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar:
5 May – Doha, QAT
13 May – Shanghai, CHN
27 May – Eugene, USA
8 Jun – Rome, ITA
15 Jun – Oslo, NOR
18 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
1 Jul – Paris, FRA
6 Jul – Lausanne, SUI
9 Jul – London, GBR
16 Jul – Rabat, MAR
21 Jul – Monaco, MON
20 Aug – Birmingham, GBR
24 Aug – Zurich, SUI
1 Sep – Brussels, BEL

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