This Thursday, the elite of athletics will once again meet for an exciting post-world championship showdown at Letzigrund Stadium. “We are proud to be able to welcome the stars of our sport. Some of our fields are even stronger than the ones of the Beijing finals,“ commented Meeting Co-Director and Athlete Liaison Officer Andreas Hediger. “As many as 20 individual world champions, 12 silver medallists, 20 bronze medallists, as well as 17 world leaders, eight 2012 Olympic champions, and seven 2008 Olympic champions will compete at Weltklasse Zürich 2015,” Andreas Hediger announced.
12 title holders of last year’s European Athletics Championships – among them Switzerland’s 400m hurdles star Kariem Hussein – will return to the arena of their success.
Three world champions in the women’s 3000m
The women’s 3000m race boasts a particularly illustrious entry list with no less than three new world champions: 1500m gold medallist Genzebe Dibaba, Almaz Ayana (ETH), winner of the 5000m championship final, and Kenya’s 10000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot.
The pole vaulters will hold their “rematch” at Weltklasse Zürich. Seven medallists will challenge each other again, including new champions Shawn Barber (CAN) and Yarisley Silva (CUB).
All three medallists of the women’s high jump and the men’s 400m, 1500m, 3000m SC, high jump, long jump, and discus throw will compete again at Letzigrund Stadium on Thursday.
Tianna Bartoletta (USA), Wayde van Niekerk (RSA), Asbel Kiprop (KEN), Derek Drouin (CAN), Greg Rutherford (GBR), and Piotr Malachowski (POL) travel to Zurich to underline their status as champions at Weltklasse Zürich.
All Swiss stars will compete
The crowd at the sold-out Letzigrund Stadium will not only focus on the likes of 100m world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce or 800m world record holder David Rudisha, but also cheer Switzerland’s athletics stars: The list of local heroes includes 100m Hurdles world championship finalist Noemi Zbären, Kariem Hussein (400m Hurdles), Mujinga Kambundji (100m), European indoor champion Selina Büchel (800 m), as well as the two pole vaulters Nicole Büchler (national record holder) and Angelica Moser (U20 European champion).
16 Diamond Trophies
16 events will represent the last leg of this year‘s Diamond Race. Winners will be awarded with the Diamond Trophy and a 40 000 US dollar prize money.
The Weltklasse Zürich programme of events at Letzigrund Stadium starts a 5.55pm with the men’s discus throw and ends at 10.05pm. The men’s pole vault will be held at Weltklasse Zürich at Zurich Main Station on Wednesday, starting at 6pm.
Weltklasse Zürich
