Wanda Diamond League Final
At least 17 Olympic champions and 13 Swiss athletes at Weltklasse Zürich 2021
One month after the Olympic Games, the best athletes meet in Zurich to compete for the prestigious Wanda Diamond League trophies. At least 17 champions of individual events in Tokyo will line up in 32 finals. Seven events will take place on Sechseläutenplatz on 8 September; the remaining 25 will be held at Letzigrund Stadium on 9 September. Switzerland’s Ajla Del Ponte and Mujinga Kambundji will challenge the world’s two fastest women. And they are just two of 13 Swiss athletes to have qualified for the largest finals in the history of the global meeting series.
Once again, the start lists of Weltklasse Zürich read like the who is who of international athletics. Moreover, some of sport’s stars have become famous beyond athletics after their appearance in the land of the rising sun. They include the likes of Karsten Warholm (NOR), Mondo Duplantis (SWE), Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR), Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA), and also Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM), who is a triple Olympic champion after her wins in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relay.
All Tokyo medallists in six events
The fastest woman will also be part of the Weltklasse Zürich 100m line-up. Alongside her, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM), Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CIV), and Switzerland’s sprint stars Ajla Del Ponte and Mujinga Kambundji, who had placed fifth and sixth in Tokyo will compete. The field will include five of the six top placed Olympic finalists, as well as Daryll Neita (USA, sixth in Tokyo), and European champion Dina Asher-Smith (GBR). As of today, at least six events will feature all Olympic medallists, among them the women’s 3000m SC with the top five Tokyo finalists, plus Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN), the current world record holder.
17 Olympic champions confirmed to compete, two of them in two events
So far, as many as 17 current Olympic champions in individual events have confirmed their appearance in Zurich, including Andre De Grasse (CAN) and Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR), who both plan to participate in two competitions. 200m Olympic champion De Grasse will run the 100m and the 200m on Thursday night; 1500m gold medallist Ingebrigtsen will compete in the 5000m race on Sechseläutenplatz and in the 1500m at Letzigrund Stadium one day later.
13 Swiss athletics diamonds
A record number – 13 – of Swiss athletes have confirmed their appearance. The two Olympic finalists Ajla Del Ponte (100m) and Mujinga Kambundji (100m/200m) have qualified for the final events, as did Lea Sprunger (400m hurdles), and Jason Joseph (110m hurdles). Joseph will be facing a quasi-Olympic-final scenario that includes Olympic champion Hansle Parchment and four Tokyo finalists.
Not all Diamond League finalists have been determined yet. The last of eleven qualification meetings will be held in Brussels this Friday. Whoever qualifies for one of the 32 Zurich final events (16 women’s and 16 men’s events), has a chance to win a Diamond Trophy. The award entails 30 000 US dollars and a spot at the 2022 world championships in Eugene, OR (USA).
New Olympic champions confirmed for Weltklasse Zürich (updated: 30/8/2021)
Women
Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM, 100m)
Faith Kipyegon (KEN, 1500m)
Peruth Chemutai (KEN, 3000m Steeple)
Mariya Lasitskene (ANA, High Jump)
Katie Nagotte (USA, Pole Vault)
Malaika Mihambo (GER, Long Jump)
Valarie Allmann (USA, Discus)
Men
Andre De Grasse (CAN, 200m)
Emmanuel Korir (KEN, 800m)
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR, 1500m)
Hansle Parchment (JAM, 110m Hurdles)
Karsten Warholm (NOR, 400m Hurdles)
Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA, High Jump)
Mondo Duplantis (SWE, Pole Vault)
Pedro Pablo Pichardo (POR, Triple Jump)
Ryan Crouser (USA, Shot Put)
Daniel Stahl (SWE, Discus)
