Eleven days after the 22nd European Athletics Championships, Zurich will host another highlight of the 2014 athletics season. The athletes competing at Weltklasse Zürich combine as many as 135 medals (110 individual and 25 relay team medals) from the 2012 Olympic Games, the 2013 world championships, and the 2014 Europeans. As always, fans can expect an action-packed night of world-class athletics. 16 Diamond Races will be staged at this first of two IAAF Diamond League final events.
European champions Dasaolu and Gemili to line up against Bolt
The scenario will be a very special one in all events, as Europe’s newly-crowned champions will be facing the best athletes of all other continents. Usain Bolt (JAM), for instance, will race both European 100m champion James Dasaolu (GBR) and 200m champion Adam Gemili (GBR) in the men’s 100m.
National record holder Mujinga Kambundji (SUI) and double European champion Dafne Schippers (NED) will challenge the sprint queens of the world on the stadium’s new „magic track“. Their race will feature two reigning Olympic champions - Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM/100 m) and Allyson Felix (USA/200 m) – and current world leader Tori Bowie (USA).
Kambundji and her 4x100m team would like to make up for their mishap in the Zürich 2014 final. And for Noemi Zbären, her appearance at the IAAF Diamond League meeting will be a great opportunity to prove that she is approaching the top of the 100m hurdling world.
Hussein to run against the best 400m hurdlers in the world
Kariem Hussein will be delighted to get to run in front of his home crowd again after his triumph in the 400m hurdles at the Europeans. The impressive line-up in his race includes world champion Jehue Gordon (TTO), Olympic champion Felix Sanchez (DOM), and the five fastest 400m h runners of this year.
The men’s 800m race will once again be a star-studded top highlight at Weltklasse Zürich: Olympic champion and world record holder David Rudisha (KEN), world champion Mohammed Aman (ETH), Olympic silver medallist and world leader Nijel Amos (BOT), two-time world champion and 2008 Olympic champion in the 1500m Asbel Kiprop (KEN), as well as the new European champion Adam Kszczot, and runner-up Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (FRA) will treat stadium visitors and TV viewers to a fantastic 800m race.
19 August, 2014
