by Alfonz JuckThe city of Zurich will host a two-day meeting on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, September 8 and 9, 2021.
The folks at EME News put this together for us as a preview. We thank them.
The Weltklasse stadium, photo by Stuart Weir
Last big show of the Year – the final for the first time in one city
ZURICH (SUI): The Wanda Diamond League final will be for the first time held in the same city over 2 days. The classical one-day meet Weltklasse in Zurich is right with the vast experience the host for this new adventure. The world’s best athletes will fight for the last global title of the summer season. The two-day bonanza of world-class athletics will see 32 athletes crowned 2021 Wanda Diamond League champion and get their hands on the Diamond Trophy and US$30,000 of prize money. In technical events 6 participants, in lane events 8, and in distances 10.
Short previews
Wednesday’s events
Men
5000m – Watch out for Yomif Kejelcha who makes his 5000 m 2021 debut. Balew and Kimeli have also sub 13.
Long jump – Tobias Montler has the longest season’s best at 8.27m and arrives fresh from a meeting record at the Finnkampen. Also Van Damme winner McCarter is among the favorites.
Shot put – Olympic medallists Ryan Crouser, Joe Kovacs, and Tom Walsh spearhead the line-up once again.
Women
5000m – Will Francine Niyonsaba make it three wins in a row after Paris and Brussels? She will face two-time world champion Hellen Obiri and Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye
Long jump – Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo takes on world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic and European indoor champion Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk.
High jump – Another clash between Olympic medallists Mariya Lasitskene, Nicola McDermott, and Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
Shot put – European indoor champion Portugal’s Auriol Dongmo will be looking to capitalize on the absence of the three Olympic medallists.
Thursday’s events
Men
100m – World leader Trayvon Bromell faces Brussels winner Fred Kerley and Olympic 200m champion Andre de Grasse.
200m – Andre de Grasse and Fred Kerley will double up and also contest the 200m. Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek is also in the field.
400m – Michael Cherry will be looking to continue his excellent run of form after wins in Brussels and Chorzow. Kirani James is the only Olympic medalist also there.
800m – Olympic champion and silver medallist Emmanuel Korir and Ferguson Rotich face Kenyan teammate Wycliffe Kinyamal who won in Paris and Chorzow.
1500m – Jakob Ingebrigtsen faces world champion Timothy Cheruiyot and in-form Australian Stewart McSweyn, the winner in Brussels and Padua.
3000m steeplechase – Olympic medallists Soufiane El Bakkali and Ben Kigen will clash again.
110m hurdles – Olympic champion Hansle Parchment faces bronze medallist Ronald Levy, fourth-placer Devon Allen, and in-form Swiss hurdler Jason Joseph.
400m hurdles – Olympic champion Karsten Warholm competes for the first time since winning gold in Tokyo in his event. His principal rivals will be Alison Dos Santos and Kyron McMaster.
High jump – Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi faces Olympic bronze medallist Maksim Nedasekau and Ilya Ivanyuk. All three have cleared 2.37m this year.
Triple jump – Olympic champion Pedro Pablo Pichardo goes head-to-head with world indoor record-holder Hugues Fabrice Zango.
Pole vault – Will Armand Duplantis clear 6.00m for the 25th time in his career? World champion Sam Kendricks also competes.
Discus – Daniel Stahl faces fellow Olympic medallists Simon Pettersson and Lukas Weisshaidinger along with fellow 70 meter-plus performer Kristjan Ceh.
Javelin – Johannes Vetter arrives fresh from an 89.60m throw in Chorzow. He faces world champion Anderson Peters and surprise Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch.
Women
100m – Elaine Thompson-Herah should be in the clear in the absence of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson. All seven athletes in the field have broken the 11 second-barrier this season
200m – One of the races of the night? Christina Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi face Olympic 100m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson and world champion Dina Asher-Smith. Marie Josee Ta Lou and Mujinga Kambundji will be contesting both the 100m and 200m.
400m – Olympic silver medallist Marileidy Paulino is one of five athletes in the field with sub-50 second-lifetime bests.
800m – Natoya Goule and Keely Hodgkinson clash again after a super-close race in Brussels. Fellow Olympic finalists Habitam Alemu and Jemma Reekie are also in the field.
1500m – Olympic champions Faith Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan renew their rivalry.
100m hurdles – Nadine Visser took a narrow win over Tobi Amusan in Brussels. Jamaican bronze medalist Megan Tapper will also be in contention.
400m hurdles – Femke Bol starts as the outstanding favorite with Sydney McLaughlin and Dalilah Muhammad both absent. Lea Sprunger runs the penultimate race of her career.
3000m steeplechase – The Olympic medallists Peruth Chemutai, Courtney Frerichs and Hyvin Kiyeng take on world leader Norah Jeruto who was absent from Tokyo.
Triple jump – World record watch on? Yulimar Rojas headlines the line-up.
Pole vault – The line-up is headed by the top four from Tokyo: Nageotte, Sidorova, Bradshaw and Stefanidi.
Discus – After finishing fourth in Tokyo, in-form Sandra Perkovic faces Olympic champion Valarie Allman and world champion Yaime Perez.
Javelin – Maria Andrejczyk faces the returning-to-form European champion Christin Hussong and world record-holder Barbora Spotakova.
