The seventh leg of the 2014 IAAF Diamond League arrives in Switzerland on Thursday, as the Athletissima meeting welcomes the world’s finest track and field exponents to the city of Lausanne.
Below is an event-by-event guide detailing which athletes to watch out for in the 16 discipline competition –
Women’s 100m –
One of the breakthrough stars of the 2014 campaign is Torrie Bowie and the 23-year-old American starts as the overwhelming favourite following her swift 10.91 lifetime best at the recent US Championships.
Having scored victories in the Rome and New York stages of the IAAF Diamond League in June, Bowie faces 2007 world champion, Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica – who registered a sensational 10.86 world lead earlier this month – and Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye.
Men’s 200m –
Olympic silver medallist, Yohan Blake contests only his second 200m of the season and the 24-year-old Jamaican will be looking for a sub-20-second win.
His team-mate, the world fourth placer Nickel Ashmead – who won this event in Doha at the beginning of May – will provide the opposition in addition to 2009 world runner up, Alonso Edward of Panama and the world indoor 60m bronze medallist, Femi Ogunode from Qatar.
Men’s 400m –
In a hotly-anticipated clash, LaShawn Merritt and Kirani James will lock horns once again – over a month since their nail-biting duel in Eugene, where the latter narrowly took the honours in a 43.97 world-leading time.
21-year-old Grenadian Olympic champion, James has not raced since, whilst world champion, Merritt has been imperious on the international circuit.
The 28-year-old American has recently notched up victories in Rome, New York and Ostrava, and it could be this experience that could see Merritt’s form win this head-to-head.
Women’s 800m –
Kenya’s Eunice Sum is unbeaten in over a year and the 25-year-old world champion enjoyed wins in the Doha, Rome and Oslo meetings earlier this summer.
Her nearest rival is likely to be Russia’s Olympic bronze medallist, Yekaterina Poistogova who recently won the European Team Championships in Braunschweig and has a fine 1:58.55 to her name in 2014.
Other notable entrants include US pair, Brenda Martinez and Molly Beckwith.
Men’s 1500m –
The metric mile is expected to be a clash between Kenya’s Silas Kiplagat and Ethiopia’s Aman Wote.
24-year-old Kiplagat – the 2011 world silver medallist – won in Rome last month, whilst 20-year-old world indoor runner up, Wote recorded a 3:30.86 national record in Doha back in May.
Kiplagat’s team-mates, James Magut and Bethwell Bergen also contest.
Women’s 3,000m –
World indoor record holder, Genzebe Dibaba is the outstanding favourite over this seven and a half lap event, following the Ethiopian’s 14:34.99 5,000m world lead in Rome.
The 23-year-old world indoor 1500m champion placed sixth in Doha but bounced back with vengeance in the Italian capital, and she will be attacking the 8:34.58 meeting record in Lausanne.
Her challengers will arrive in the form of world 5,000m silver medallist, Mercy Cherono – the 3,000m winner in New York – as well as Ethiopia’s world bronze medallist, Almaz Ayana and Viola Kibiwot of Kenya.
Men’s 3,000m Steeplechase –
Kenya’s Jairus Birech was victorious in Rome and Oslo – the latter in a world-leading 8:02.37 lifetime best and the 21-year-old goes up against his compatriots, Brimin Kipruto – the 2008 Olympic champion – and Paul Kipsiele Koech, the 32-year-old world fourth placer.
Men’s 110m Hurdles –
Cuba’s Orlando Ortega and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France start as the marginal favourites in this loaded high hurdles field.
With the pair both having run 13.12 world leads recently, perhaps 22-year-old world indoor 60m hurdles silver medallist, Martinot-Lagarde will have the edge following his wins in Eugene and Oslo.
Additional names eager to assert their authority include Olympic bronze medallist, Hansel Parchment and his Jamaican team-mate, Andrew Riley as well as Russia’s world bronze medallist, Sergey Shubenkov and world champion David Oliver of the USA.
Men’s 400m Hurdles –
The USA’s Michael Tinsley will be determined to make amends for his fall at the recent national championships but the 30-year-old world and Olympic runner up faces Puerto Rico’s Olympic bronze medallist, Javier Culson.
The 29-year-old has been in fine form lately with wins in Hengelo and New York, but the pair will also go up against Olympic champion, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jehue Gordon, the world champion.
Men’s Long Jump –
All eyes will be on world champion, Aleksandr Menkov as the 23-year-old Russian makes his late seasonal debut.
Great Britain’s Greg Rutherford will be keen to assert his dominance, following an impressive 8.51m national record in April, whilst Dutch world runner up, Ignisious Gaisah also contests.
Other names to watch out for include Mexico’s Luis Rivera, Li Jinzhe of China, the USA’s Jeff Henderson and Germany’s Christian Reif.
Women’s Triple Jump –
With a winning streak stretching back to 18 months, Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen will enter the competition as the favourite yet again.
The 30-year-old world champion and Olympic silver medallist has taken recent wins in Doha, Rome and Hengelo, and her nearest challenger may be Russia’s world indoor champion, Yekaterina Koneva.
Cuba’s 2009 world runner up, Mabel Gay also competes.
Men’s High Jump –
The men’s high jump is undoubtedly the event of the 2014 season with no fewer than 12 leaps over the magical 2.40m mark.
After their epic clash in New York where both men cleared 2.42m, Bogdan Bondarenko and Mutaz Essa Barshim come into Lausanne ready for their mouth-watering battle.
Ukraine’s 24-year-old Bondarenko will be up against Qatar’s 23-year-old world indoor champion who was also victorious in Rome.
Additional names eager to spoil the proceedings include Russia’s Olympic champion Ivan Ukhov, Derek Drouin of Canada and Russia’s Aleksey Dmitrik.
Men’s Pole Vault –
France’s World indoor record holder, Renaud Lavillenie is in dominant form having notched up impressive wins in Shanghai, Eugene, Hengelo, Oslo, Ostrava, Braunschweig and the 27-year-old Olympic champion should have no issues claiming another in Lausanne.
His opponents include world indoor victor, Konstantinos Filippidis of Greece and Germany’s world champion, Raphael Holzdeppe.
Women’s Shot Put –
Having recently captured her 50th consecutive win, world and Olympic champion, Valerie Adams will enter the shot put contest in exuberant form.
The 29-year-old New Zealander was dominant in Doha, Rome and New York and has an impressive 20.46m season’s best.
Germany’s world silver medallist, Christina Schwanitz has the potential to cause an upset, whilst the USA’s Michelle Carter also contests.
Men’s Discus –
Poland’s Piotr Malachowski has a season’s best over two-metres further than the next best in the field, making the 31-year-old world silver medallist the stand-out name to watch.
Sweden’s Daniel Stahl and Germany’s Martin Wierig will provide the opposition.
Women’s Javelin –
Two-time Olympic champion, Barbora Spotakova has successfully returned from maternity leave this summer, with the 32-year-old Czech finishing first in Rome and Braunschweig.
The world record holder will be up against Germany’s Linda Stahl – the Olympic bronze medallist and the winner in New York – and world silver medallist, Kim Mickle of Australia.
Men’s 100m (non-Diamond League event) –
The USA’s Justin Gatlin was victorious in Shanghai, Eugene, Rome and Ostrava but the 32-year-old 2004 Olympic champion’s participation will be overshadowed by the return of his compatriot, Tyson Gay.
The 31-year-old 2007 world champion has not competed since winning this event in the 2013 meeting, following a doping ban.
US champion Mike Rodgers will also start.
