The precision of an Olympic champion
After Letsile Tebogo had sprinted to gold in Paris, taking the first African 200m Olympic champion, the 21-year-old became a national hero in Botswana. 80 000 people celebrated in the streets of Gaborone, and 30 000 fans welcomed him home at the country’s national stadium.
At the packed Letzigrund Stadium, another 25 000 fans cheered, when the new star was introduced. His race would become one of the most thrilling events of the night. Kenneth «Kenny» Bednarek (USA), who had been a close runner-up in the final at the Stade de France, was the one who pushed him the hardest. Tebogo caught up with him, but only in the final metres. The ecstatic crowd carried him to a stunning 19.55. The sprinters defied rainy conditions and cool temperatures. Bednarek, came in second in 19.57, a new personal best.
This year’s young European champion Timothé Mumenthaler represented Switzerland in the exciting race. He placed eighth in 20.72.
Yet another winner
Much had been said about the strengths of and the atmosphere between the 1500m stars. The Olympic final had provided a first, albeit surprising, answer, when Cole Hocker (USA) snatched the title from Kerr (GBR/Olympic silver medallist) and Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR/fourth), who had been expected to fight it out among them. Ingebrigtsen, who had been considered a top favourite, was able to make up for this fourth place in style. He first took Olympic gold in the 5000m and then set an incredible new 3000m world record. Zurich was his opportunity to settle the score in his specialty event, the 1500m.
But it was not to be. Even though he accepted the fast pace offered by the pacemakers immediately, his opponents followed suit. In the final metres, he had to give in to one of them. And this around, it was neither Olympic champion Hocker nor world champion Kerr, but Olympic bronze medallist and 2023 Weltklasse Zürich winner Yared Nuguse (USA), who prevailed in the end and won the fabulous race in 3:29.21.
Mondo Duplantis, again and again
No other athlete was drawing more attention than Mondo Duplantis in the run up to this year’s meeting. The Swedish superstar is dominating his event and is breaking world records (ten so far) at record-breaking speed. And he managed to outsprint 400m h world record holder Karsten Warholm (NOR) in a 100m duel on the eve of the meeting.
Duplantis, who grew up in the US with his American father and his Swedish mother, lives in Stockholm. He is a reigning Olympic, world, and European champion. And he has yet to be defeated this year. Even very difficult weather conditions and tired legs (he mentioned that his body had «felt destroyed» after the 100m race) could not prevent him from winning at Letzigrund Stadium again. Just as Duplantis, Olympic silver medallist Sam Kendricks (USA) cleared 5.82m. He placed second because he needed more attempts to do so. Kurtis Marshall (AUS/5.72m) placed third.
A defeat for the holder of all international titles
There simply seems almost no way anyone else than Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) can win in the long jump, especially when it comes to international titles. The new Olympic champion is also the reigning world and European champion. However, he was not able to defend his reputation of being invincible at Weltklasse Zürich this year. Even though he used his last-attempt trick successfully to qualify for the «Final Three» (the sixth attempt for the top three athletes), the Greek star lost the post-Olympic rematch against Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock (JAM/8.18m) and placed second (8.02m).
Local fans were focused on the allrounder in the long jump line-up: Swiss decathlete Simon Ehammer challenged the specialists of his strongest individual event again. To the delight of the cheering crowd, he, too, qualified for the Final Three. He placed third (7.98m), winning his first spot on a Weltklasse Zürich podium.
Atmospheric start thanks to the «babyface killer»
Ein Schweizer sorgte dafür, dass unmittelbar vor Beginn des Hauptprogramms die Stimmung im Stadion Letzigrund so richtig entfacht wurde. Gewohnt verhalten ins 400-m-Rennen gestartet, spielte Lionel Spitz seine Stärke auf der Zielgerade aus und lieferte mit 45,30 Sekunden einmal mehr in dieser Saison eine bärenstarke Leistung ab. Die Zuschauenden dankten es dem «Babyface-Killer», wie er sich selbst gerne bezeichnet, mit lautstarkem Beifall.
Praktisch zeitgleich mit Spitz hatte ein Weltrekordhalter seinen Auftritt bei Weltklasse Zürich. Nach dem vielbeachteten Duell zwischen Mondo Duplantis (SWE) und Karsten Warholm (NOR) über 100 m am Vorabend von Weltklasse Zürich hätte der Norweger als Strafe in einem Schweden-Einteiler über 400 m Hürden antreten sollen. Warholm löste seine Wettschuld vor ausverkauften Rängen ein, musste verletzungsbedingt aber auf einen Start über seine Lieblingsdistanz verzichten. Beim Stadion-Interview im gelb-blauen PUMA-Dress hatte der humorvolle Norweger die Lacher dennoch auf seiner Seite.
Die weiteren Siege des Abends im Hauptprogramm gingen an Grant Holloway (USA/110 m Hürden), Roshawn Clarke (JAM/400 m Hürden), Ryan Crouser (USA/Kugel) und Anderson Peters (GRN/Speer), sowie im Vorprogramm an Jacob Krop (KEN/3000 m).
Credit: Diamond League AG
