News22 Aug 2016


14 Olympic champions to compete in Zurich – IAAF Diamond League

FacebookTwitterEmail

Christian Taylor at the 2014 IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich (© Jean-Pierre Durand)

Zurich’s Weltklasse meeting will welcome 14 Olympic champions to the Letzigrund Stadium on 1 September for the first one two IAAF Diamond League finals.

In addition to the newly crowned Olympic champions, the fields also include 26 silver and bronze medallists, eight reigning world champions, and 17 European champions.

The women’s 200m and the men’s pole vault are just two examples of 18 top-class events.

The gold medal haul of the athletes competing in the women’s 200m in Zürich is truly impressive:  Elaine Thompson, Dafne Schippers, Allyson Felix and Veronica Campbell-Brown have won a total of 25 global titles. It will be the first time ever that this quartet has met over 200m.

History could be written in the men’s pole vault in Zurich as world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie seeks an unprecedented seventh Diamond Race victory. The competition will also provide him with an opportunity to settle the score with Thiago Braz, the surprise Olympic champion.

The two will be challenged by Olympic bronze medallist Sam Kendricks, world bronze medallist Piotr Lisek and European silver medallist Jan Kudlicka.

Several other Olympic champions will face some of Switzerland’s top athletics stars. Olympic champion Caster Semenya will be up against European indoor champion Selina Buchel in the 800m, while Olympic champion Ruth Jebet lines up alongside Swiss record-holder Fabienne Schlumpf in the 3000m steeplechase.

Olympic 400m hurdles champion Kerron Clement will take on 2014 European champion Kariem Hussein and world champion Nicholas Bett. In the women’s event, European bronze medallist Lea Sprunger will face European champion and Olympic silver medallist Sara Petersen.

As always, the Zurich Trophy – a 4x100m race – will conclude the programme of events. USA and Jamaica, the Olympic gold and silver medallists, will take on Switzerland and Germany.

Some athletes will already be flying high on Wednesday night, when the world’s best female pole vaulters compete at Zurich Main Station. The entry list includes Olympic champion Ekaterini Stefanidi, Olympic silver medallist Sandi Morris, Swiss record-holder Nicole Büchler and world U20 champion Angelica Moser.

Other Olympic champions in action include Christian Taylor in the triple jump, Faith Kipyegon in the 1500m, Ruth Beitia in the high jump, Tianna Bartoletta in the long jump, Sandra Perkovic in the discus, Ryan Crouser in the shot put, Thomas Rohler in the javelin, and sprint hurdler Omar McLeod, who will contest the 100m in Zurich.

Organisers for the IAAF

2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar
6 May – Doha, QAT
14 May – Shanghai, CHN
22 May – Rabat, MAR
28 May – Eugene, USA
2 Jun – Rome, ITA
5 Jun – Birmingham, GBR
9 Jun – Oslo, NOR
16 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
15 Jul – Monaco, MON
22-23 Jul – London, GBR
25 Aug – Lausanne, SUI
27 Aug – Paris, FRA
1 Sep – Zurich, SUI
9 Sep – Brussels, BEL

Loading...