Athletissima Lausanne Diamond League offers the first post-Olympic European DL meeting. Elaine Thompson-Herah, Karsten Warholm, Yulimar Rojas, Ryan Crouser and Mondo Duplantis are the hottest names currently on the scene.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen can also claim to be mentioned among the top stars with his performances in the 3000m.
The meet is sold out. which is unique under current circumstances. In case the weather will cooperate. a number of fireworks are expected.
Lausanne Diamond League Event by event previews
Men at Lausanne Diamond League
200m – Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek goes head-to-head with Olympic 400m champion Steven Gardiner. Also in the field 100 m silver medalist Fred Kerley.
400m (non-DL) – Karsten Warholm races over the 400m flat for the first time this season. Based on his current form, he is expected to challenge the long-standing European record of 44.33 set by Thomas Schonlebe in 1987.
800m – The line-up includes all three medallists from Tokyo: Kenyans Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich and Poland’s Patryk Dobek.
3000m – Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen clashes with Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega over 3000m with the aim to attack the European record. Australia’s Stewart McSweyn will aim for the Oceanian record.
110m hurdles – Olympic champion Hansle Parchment faces bronze medallist and Jamaican teammate Ronald Levy. The field also includes Americans Devon Allen and Daniel Roberts as well as fast-rising Jamaican Rasheed Broadbell.
Men’s Pole vault – Olympic champion and world record-holder Armand Duplantis faces Sam Kendricks, who competes for the first time since coronavirus forced him to miss Tokyo 2020.
Men’s Shot put – Olympic champion and world record-holder Ryan Crouser faces fellow Olympic medallists Joe Kovacs and Tom Walsh again. Eight of the nine entrants have thrown further than 21.50m this year. The meeting record of 22.39 is expected to go.
Men’s Javelin – This is Johannes Vetter’s first big competition since a disappointing performance in Tokyo. The line-up also includes world champion Anderson Peters and Czech Olympic medallists Jakub Vadlejch and Vitezslav Vesely. Olympic winner Chopra of India will not compete for the remainder of this year.
Women at Lausanne Diamond League
100m – Elaine Thompson-Herah fresh from her 10.54 victory in Eugene will line up against a cracking field. Fellow Olympic medallists and Jamaican teammates Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson will join her. Marion Jones’ meeting record of 10.72 is likely in the departure lounge.
200m (non-DL) – Corinna Schwab is the fastest based on this season’s times.
400m – Olympic silver medallist Marileidy Paulino will search for the first Diamond League win of her career. She is one of four sub-50 second performers in the line-up including Jamaica’s Candice McLeod, who finished fifth in Tokyo. McLeod will be making her Diamond League debut.
Women’s 800m (non-DL) – Four starters have been below 2:00 this season, led by Lore Hoffman.
1500m – Olympic fourth-placer Freweyni Hailu from Ethiopia is the standout entrant with the three Olympic medallists absent. Jemma Reekie could threaten her.
400m hurdles – Olympic silver and bronze medallists Dalilah Muhammad and Femke Bol go head-to-head. American Shamier Little gets a chance at redemption after missing out on going to Tokyo. Jamaica’s Janieve Russell and teammate Leah Nugent add more star power to this event.
Women’s Long jump – Ivana Spanovic will be looking to make amends after finishing fourth in Tokyo. None of the medallists from Tokyo will be competing.
Triple jump – Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas competes for the first time since winning gold in Tokyo with a world record of 15.67m. Will she be motivated to go further?
Women’s High jump – Olympic champion Mariya Lasitskene faces fellow Tokyo medallists Nicola McDermott and Yaroslava Mahuchikh, plus Eugene Diamond League winner Iryna Herashchenko. The Olympic winner jumped here 2.06m four years ago.
Women’s 4x100m Relay – The Great Britain team is the favourite against crowd favourites Switzerland. Poland and Netherlands are also in the lineup.