Men:
200m - Ramil Guliyev to challenge Noah Lyles
Noah Lyles (USA) will do his utmost to win his second Diamond Trophy after his first triumph in 2017. The odds seem to be in his favour: The 21-year-old sprinter prevailed at four out of six IAAF Diamond League meetings, and he is the current world leader with a season’s best of 19.65. Still, winning the race will be no walk in the park. His opponents include a powerful Ramil Guliyev (TUR), world and European champion, who improved his personal best to 19.76 in Berlin. The noise levels during the race will be at record heights, as local hero Alex Wilson will line up with the two. The fastest Swiss athlete took bronze in the 200m at the European athletics championships in Berlin. Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (GBR), who snatched the silver medal from under Wilson’s nose in Berlin, will want to have a say in the matter, as well.
400m - Steven Gardiner in fighting mood
Steven Gardiner, aka «Speedy Steve», stormed to 43.87 in Doha this May. With this result, the 22-year-old athlete from the Bahamas is ahead of anyone else on the entry list – by 46 hundredths of a second. However, the world championship silver medallist had received similar advance praise when he arrived in Zurich last year. Unfortunately, he fell shortly after coming out of the block and had to let others triumph. One of his opponents to watch out for this year is Fred Kerley (USA), who won in Birmingham recently und improved his personal best to 43.70 last year. European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR), who nearly hung up his running shoes in frustration last year, definitely stands a fighting chance for success, as well.
400m hurdles – 2017 winner v. world and European champion
There may well be a heart-stopping duel between last year’s winner and the reigning world and European champion in the men’s 400m h: Kyron McMaster (CIV) ran 47.54 in June and Karsten Warholm (NOR) is close on his heels with a season’s best of 47.64. But when two quarrel, a third often rejoices. The third in this case could be European championship silver medallist Yasmani Copello. He set a new Turkish national record of 47.81 in Berlin. In addition, Bershawn Jackson (USA) will be back. The 35-year-old star arrives with a personal best of 47.30. He is a two-time world champion – and a two-time overall winner of the IAAF Diamond League.
1500m – Top favourite Timothy Cheruiyot v. a disappointed Filip Ingebrigtsen
Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot is no doubt a strong favourite for tomorrow’s 1500m. The world championship silver medallist is the winner of the 2017 edition of the race and leads this year’s top list with a season’s best of 3:28.41. Runner-up on the list and maybe toughest opponent is world champion Elijah Motonei Manangoi with 3:29.64. However, Filip Ingebrigtsen, fifth in Europe’s all-time top list, intends to challenge them. To him, the race also represents an opportunity to make up for his disappointment in Berlin, where a fall in the heats had left him unable to defend his 2016 title.
3000m SC - Soufiane El Bakkali the man to beat
Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR; 22) is the only steepler to have achieved a sub eight-minutes time this summer, clocking 7:58.15 in Monaco five weeks ago. However, world and Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto (KEN) proved that he is back with a win in Birmingham. Olympic silver medallist and world championship bronze medallist Evan Jager (USA) tackles the Zurich race as number two on the season’s top list. He came close to the eight-minute mark clocking 8:01.02 in Monaco. Also among the favourites for tomorrow’s race is up-and-comer Benjamin Kigen (KEN), a surprise winner at two IAAF Golden League meetings.
Long Jump – Can anyone stop Luvo Manyonga?
World champion Luvo Manyonga is all set to repeat last year’s triumph: He won three IAAF Diamond League competitions and arrives in Zurich with a season’s best of 8.58. The 27-year-old South African had jumped seven centimetres further, when he set a new national record in April of last year. In Stockholm, however, Manyonga had to yield to Jeff Henderson (USA), just as he had to at the Olympic Games in Rio two years earlier. Fellow countryman Ruswahl Samaai is the second South African star in the prestigious Weltklasse Zürich long jump cast. Local hero Benjamin Gföhler, a member of the Zurich athletics club LC Zürich, plans to benefit from being able to perform in front of his home crowd and to tackle the eight-metre mark again.
Shot put – Powerful opponents for world champion Walsh
Tomas Walsh (NZL) enters the Zurich competition as leader of this year’s top list. He achieved his season’s best – 22.67 – already in March. «I am not here to be second,» the 27-year-old world champion often says going into a major competition. His goal for the showdown at Letzigrund Stadium seems to be obvious. To achieve it, he will have to defeat Olympic champion Ryan Crouser (USA), who threw his season’s best of 22.53 in May. European champion Michal Haratyk, who superseded two-time Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski as holder of the Polish national record, improved his personal best to 22.08 in June.
Javelin throw – A remake of the German duel in Berlin?
The possibility of a remake of the Berlin duel between Olympic champion Thomas Röhler and his compatriot Andreas Hofmann cannot be ruled out. Hofmann ranks second on the 2018 top list with 92.06. Röhler, who claimed his first IAAF Diamond League Trophy in 2014, ranks third with a season’s best of 91.78. Can European championship bronze medallist Magnus Kirt (EST) interfere? His javelin flew 89.75 metres at the meeting in Rabat in July. Last year, Jakub Vadlejch (CZE) fought like a lion at Letzigrund Stadium. This year, the 27-year-old world championship silver medallist’s SB ranks fifth on the top list.
Women:
100m – Millimetres may separate Asher-Smith and Ta Lou.
Fans are eagerly anticipating the clash between triple European champion Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) and two-time world championship silver medallist Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CIV). Both have a season’s best of 10.85. Lying in wait is 200m world champion Dafne Schippers (NED). The Swiss fans will not be the only ones to be watching out for Mujinga Kambundji, however. The 26-year-old set an impressive new national record (10.95) and became the first Swiss athlete to run the 100m in a sub 11-seconds time. Placing fourth and just missing the European championship podium in Berlin three times will probably serve as a motivational punch. As will so will be the boisterous support by the Zurich audience.
400m hurdles - Lea Sprunger’s encore
Speed and endurance helped Lea Sprunger master her role as a favourite for the championship final in Berlin. She won in 54.33, a new personal best. Will the athlete, who is coached by Laurent Meuwly, benefit from the tail wind her greatest international triumph so far no doubt provides? There will be no lack of tough opponents, as the world’s fastest hurdlers will line up against the 28-year-old. The cast will include world championship silver medallist Shamier Little (USA), leader of the current top list with 53.32, Janieve Russell (JAM; 53.46), Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad (USA; 53.65), as well as Georganne Moline (USA; 53.90).
800m – Who could be able to rival Caster Semenya?
Caster Semenya – who else? The 27-year-old South African seems to run in a league of her own and has yet to be beaten this year. The two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion ran 1:54.25 in Paris this year, a mark only she might be able to beat at this time. As close on her heels as possible will be Francine Niyonsaba. The 25-year-old athlete from Burundi, a silver medallist at the Rio Olympic Games and at the world championships in London, has a personal best of 1:55.47. Switzerland’s European championship finalist Selina Bücher has a wild card for the race.
5000m – Full steam ahead!
High speed and a three-way fight are on the cards in the women’s 5000m. The protagonists of the all-star cast includes world champion Hellen Obiri (KEN), European champion Sifan Hassan (NED), and1500 world record holder Genzebe Dibaba (ETH). According to the top list, Obiri (14:21.75) is currently the fastest of them all. Hassan, for her part, recently set a new European record in 14:22.34. Dibaba arrives in Zurich with a 5000m season’s best of 14:26.89. Her personal best, however, stands at an impressive 14:15.41. The Zurich meeting’s record – 14:30.10 – dates back to 2011.
High jump - Mariya Lasitskene, leader of the “2 metres” quintet
In her best competition so far, she cleared 2.06; her 2018 season’s best: 2.04. Mariya Lasitskene (independant participant) will be very hard to beat in Zurich. The Russian world and European champion took her first IAAF Diamond League title in 2017. This year, she won five out of six IAAF Diamond League competitions. Four other athletes in the field are able to clear 2 metres: Olympic and European championship silver medallist Mirela Demireva (BUL), Elena Vallortigara (ITA), Yulia Levchenko (UKR), and European championship bronze medallist Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch (GER).
Triple jump – The way is clear for Olympic champion Catherine Ibarguen.
Olympic champion Catherine Ibarguen (COL) may remain unchallenged in tomorrow’s competition. The 34-year-old athlete is the current world leader with her season’s best of 14.96, and she dominated at four IAAF Diamond League meetings. Overall, the two-time world champion has won as many as 32 IAAF Diamond League competitions. Her personal best dates back to 15.31. Her toughest opponents include Tori Franklin (USA) with a season’s best of 14.84, as well as the two Jamaicans Kimberly Williams (14.64) and Shanieka Rikketts (14.61).
Pole vault - Katerina Stefanidi v. Sandi Morris
So far, Olympic, world, and European champion Katerina Stefanidi (GRE) has always been ready when she had to be. She cleared 4.91 last year. Therefore, her current season’s best of 4.85 suggests that there is room for improvement. Once again, world indoor champion Sandi Morris (USA) will challenge her. The Olympic and world championship silver medallist won three IAAF Diamond League competitions this year and also leads the season’s top list (4.95). Her personal best: 5m. Independent participant Anzhelika Sidorova recently cleared 4.80. Switzerland’s U23 European champion Angelica Moser has a wild card for the competition at Letzigrund Stadium.
Javelin throw - Huihui Lyu in the spotlight
On paper, Huihui Lyu (CHN) is the obvious favourite for the overall win. The 29-year-old won the IAAF Diamond League competitions in Shanghai and London. So far, the 2017 world championship bronze medallist has launched her javelin to 67.69 this year. However: It was Belarus’ Tatsiana Khaladovich, who triumphed in Oslo, and her 67.47 rank second on the top list. Huihui Lyus compatriot Shiying Liu achieved a result of 67.12 in May, as well. Swiss heptahlete (ninth at the European athletics championships) and national javelin throw record holder Géraldine Ruckstuhl has decided to face the javelin specialists this year, and will use her wild card to do so.
Additional event:
Zürich Trophy 4 x 100m – Swiss team ready to make amends
The Swiss team is plotting revenge: Their 42.29 run in Lausanne, a new national record, had indicated that a spot on the Berlin podium was within reach. They placed fourth – a disappointment. Now, Ajla Del Ponte, Sarah Atcho, Mujinga Kambundji, and Salomé Kora are determined to prove that they did not quite fulfil their potential at the European athletics championships. Great Britain, including key player Dina Asher-Smith, the Netherlands, and Germany – the entire Berlin podium – will line up against them again. And there will be Jamaica’s squad, the 2017 winners.
