Everything was all set and everyone was getting ready for Weltklasse Zürich last week. When the night of the meeting finally came, the world’s greatest athletics stars once again performed at breathtaking levels during a night of superbly presented competitions in the unique setting of Letzigrund Stadium. 25 000 stadium visitors were cheering the athletes at the sold-out arena, while several million fans watched on TV and interacted with social media contents. The SRF broadcast of Weltklasse Zürich on Thursday night reached nearly 27 percent of overall TV viewership in Switzerland, and the Karsten vs. Mondo showdown on the eve of the meeting was watched by even 60 percent of viewers in Norway. All in all, Weltklasse Zurich events and content generated 20 million video views during the week of the meeting.
Co-Meeting Director Christoph Joho gave an entirely positive summary of last week’s events. “The Weltklasse Zürich week truly was ‘Weltklasse’. We have received wonderful feedback from participants, guests, spectators, coaches, media representatives, and sponsors. Together with our team, we managed to create goosebump moments every day. And with our innovative spirit, we were able to set new standards on a global level. So, we are very proud of our work this year.”
In keeping with Weltklasse Zürich philosophy, the events during the week of the meeting are varied, and they purposely address and include society as a whole. At the kids clinic “Jugend trainiert mit Weltklasse” on Tuesday afternoon, 500 children and young adults participated in a very special training session during which national and international athletics stars served as their coaches. There was a relay training group with Mujinga Kambundji and Dina Asher-Smith and many delighted young sprinters, for instance. Other young athletes were extremely happy about getting useful tips and tricks form Fred Kerley and Ryan Crouser. And Weltklasse Zürich still lingered in the air at Letzigrund Stadium on Saturday, when Switzerland’s most successful UBS Kids Cup participants competed in the national final, following in the footsteps of their role models on the prestigious athletics stage.
The world’s best athletes shine in Zurich
Once again, the Weltklasse Zürich events at Zurich Main Station (on Wednesday) and at Letzigrund Stadium (on Thursday) featured all-star casts. Numerous Olympic champions performed at exciting levels and treated the crowds to breathtaking highlights. One of them was 200m Olympic gold medallist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, who prevailed in a gripping race against US star Kenneth Bednarek and others. The men’s 1500m, too, was a much-anticipated post-Olympic rematch. Its surprise winner turned out to be Yared Nuguse. He managed to outrun top favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who came in second. Pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis won twice this time around: He beat Karsten Warholm in a much-talked about 100m duel on the eve of the meeting, and then went on to dominate the pole vault competition as he usually does. Wayne Pinnock beat Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou in the men’s long jump, while local hero Simon Ehammer, cheered on by his home crowd, placed third. Switzerland’s Lionel Spitz was one of the first winners of the night, to the delight of local fans. The 110m h and shot put competitions were both won by the respective Olympic champions, Grant Holloway and Ryan Crouser.
Beatrice Chebet created another impressive athletic highlight: She stormed to a new meeting record and a new world leading time in the 5000m. Supported by the legendary Zurich crowd, she clocked a time that placed her fourth in the all time top list of the event. The women’s 100m race, too, turned out to be the exciting showdown everyone had expected it to be. Sha’Carri Richardson successfully settled the score with her opponents in the Paris final, beating Olympic champion Julien Alfred. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn followed suit by outrunning Masai Russell, who had taken gold at the Olympic Games in the 100m h. High jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh was a confident winner in her competition, as was pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, who added another win at her “favourite meeting” in front of 4000 fans at Zurich Main Station. And Switzerland’s 4x100m squad topped off a fantastic Weltklasse Zürich night with their very first win at Letzigrund Stadium.
“Despite difficult weather conditions at the beginning of the meeting, the athletes’ performances were ‘Weltklasse’ as well. The greatest national and international stars of our sport treated Zurich to another athletics night full of excitement and atmosphere. And they, in turn, were once again blown away by the inimitable atmosphere at the sold-out Letzigrund Stadium,” said Co-Meeting Director Andreas Hediger. He is already thinking about next year, of course. “We are excited about Weltklasse Zürich 2025, when Weltklasse Zürich will host the Wanda Diamond League final events again!”
Weltklasse Zürich 2024 picture gallery
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