Olympic champions and other superstars clash in Lausanne Diamond League

Noel Francis
By Noel Francis 6 Min Read
Jamaica's Rasheed Broadbell Shines with Bronze Medal in 110m Hurdles at XXXIII Olympiad Paris 2024

The 11th edition of Athletissima in Lausanne on Thursday, August 22, will feature several duels between the sport’s superstars, guaranteeing suspense and great performances. Here’s an overview of the main clashes in the Lausanne Diamond League.

The women’s 100m promises to be tight between European stars Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita of Great Britain and Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland. Tamari Davis, 4x100m world champion with the USA, and Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast are joining them. Young Jamaica rising star Tia Clayton, who was expected to finish higher in the Paris final, gets another chance to show her pedigree.

Reigning Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, still basking in his Paris triumph and the festivities that followed, will face off with world U20 record-holder Erriyon Knighton of the USA. Knighton’s teammate Fred Kerley, Alexander Ogondo of the Dominican Republic, and Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago will make things interesting.

European record-holder and Olympic runner-up Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain will clash with Paris bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga of Zambia and Olympic 4x400m relay champions Vernon Norwood and Bryce Deadmon of the USA.

Olympic champion Grant Holloway, who collected the only title that eluded him, will face 2021 Olympic champion Hansle Parchment and three other men who have dipped under 13 seconds in Paris bronze medallist Rasheed Broadbell and Freddie Crittenden and Daniel Roberts of the USA.

One of the feature events is the women’s 100m hurdles. It includes 2021 Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who won bronze in Paris after sitting in the blocks. Jamaican duo two-time world champion Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent, the fastest in this year’s field, will want to make amends for their out-of-sorts showing in Paris. Alaysha Johnson (USA), Olympic runner-up Cyréna Samba-Mayela (France), and European runner-up Ditaji Kambundji (Switzerland) will add lustre to this impressive lineup.

The women’s 400m hurdles feature World champion and European record-holder Femke Bol. The Dutch star, who always runs fast in Switzerland, will be looking to put her disappointing third-place finish in Paris behind her. She will have worthy opponents in Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton and Americans Shamier Little and Jasmine Jones.

The women’s 800m is another must-see event. Reigning world champion Mary Moraa of Kenya will be challenged by three of the fastest women of the year, Jemma Reekie, Georgia Bell of Great Britain, and Natoya Goule-Toppin of Jamaica, who have all run under 1:57.00 this season.

The men’s equivalent was one of the greatest races of the Paris Olympics. Five of the top six finishers from the Paris Olympics will toe the line. Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and his Canadian runner-up Marco Arop, as well as Bryce Hoppel (USA), Mohamed Attaoui (ESP), and Gabriel Tual (FRA), will ensure another thriller is on the cards.

Olympic champion in the 5000m, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, is still peeved that he did not make the 1500m podium in Paris. He gets an opportunity at redemption when he faces the Olympic champion and new sensation Cole Hocker, who sneaked by him on the inside lane. Norway’s Narve Nordas, Kenyan stars Timothy and Reynold Cheruiyot, and another American, Hobbs Kessler, are also in the field.

The seemingly untouchable Olympic, World, and European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece will start as a favourite in the men’s long jump. However, Jamaica’s Wayne Pinnock has vowed to lower his colours this season. Young Mattia Furlani of Italy, who is listed to compete at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru, is probably using this meeting as his final warm-up. Simon Ehammer, who failed to hammer home his chances in Paris, will be out for revenge.

The women’s high jump promises to be a spectacular affair. Olympic champion and world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine will take on Australian stars Eleanor Patterson, the 2022 world champion, and Nicola Olyslagers, silver medallist in Paris, and bronze medallist Iryna Gerashchenko of Ukraine.

Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye of Germany will face her Paris runner-up, New Zealander Madison-Lee Wesche, and the formidable North Americans Chase Jackson (USA) and Sarah Mitton (CAN) in the women’s shot put.

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