Lausanne Diamond League Athetissima Preview
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Ten Olympic champions are set to headline the Athletissima meeting in Lausanne, a premier event on the 2024 Diamond League circuit. This 11th leg is poised to captivate more than 13,000 spectators at the fully booked Stade Olympique de la Pontaise. The event will feature a series of thrilling matchups, including Duplantis in a special pole vault City Event on August 21. In the sprints, Letsile Tebogo is set to challenge Fred Kerley in the 200 meters, while Emmanuel Wanyonyi will face Marco Arop in a competitive 800 meters race. In the women's high jump, Yaroslava Mahuchikh will take on Nicola Olyslagers in what promises to be a spectacular vertical battle.
Men’s pole vault:
Armand Duplantis will headline the City Event pole vault, which will be held in Place de Navigation on 21 August on the shores of the Lake Leman. The Lausanne City Event is a Diamond League scoring event.
This season Duplantis won his third consecutive European title in Rome with 6.10m and his second Olympic gold medal in Paris setting the ninth world record of his career with 6.25m, adding one cm to his previous mark of 6.24m set in Xiamen last April.
Duplantis made his debut in the European circuit in Lausanne when he was still in the junior age category. He won two editions of the Athletissima City Event in 2020 and in 2022 with 6.10m. Armand’s father Greg Duplantis competed in Lausanne in the 1980s.
Sam Kendricks won two silver medals at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow with 5.90m and at the Olympic Games in Paris with 5.95m and finished first in the Olympic Trials with 5.92m. The US pole vaulter won in Lausanne twice in 2016 with 5.92m and in 2017 with 5.93m and finished second in the City Event in 2020 with 6.02m.
Emmanouil Karalis won the European silver medal at the European Championships in Rome with 5.87m and two bronze medals at the World indoor Championships in Glasgow with 5.85m and at the Olympic Games in Paris with 5.90m and improved his Greek record to 5.93m at the National Championships.
Christopher Nilsen won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 with 5.97m and two medals at the World Championships (silver in Eugene 2022 with 5.94m and bronze in Budapest 2023 with 5.95m). Nilsen finished second at the US Trials with 5.87m in Eugene last June.
Jacob Wooten qualified for the Olympic Games with his seasonal best of 5.87m at the US Trials, but he did not reach the final at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Ernest John Obiena from the Philippines reached the podium at the past two editions of the World Championships winning bronze in Eugene with 5.94m and silver in Budapest with 6.00m. Obiena set a seasonal best of 5.97m in Bydgoszcz and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 5.90m.
Renaud Lavillenie, Olympic champion in London 2012 and former world record holder with 6.16m, won seven Diamond League Trophies and three editions of Athletissima in 2010, 2014 and 2018.
The line-up also features Thibaut Collet from France, who finished fifth at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 with 5.90m and improved his PB to 5.95m this year, Kurtis Marshall, world bronze medallist in Budapest 2023 with 5.95m and two-time Commonwealth Games champion in 2018 and 2022, Sondre Guttormsen from Norway, who won the gold medal at the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul and his third NCAA title with 6.00m in 2023.
Men’s 200 metres:
Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo will be the stand-out athlete in the men’s 200 metres race, which has always produced very fast times on the track of the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise. Tebogo won the Olympic gold medal in the 200 metres improving his African record to 19.46 in Paris. He finished second with the 4x400 relay with a continental record of 2:54.53 and sixth in the 100 metres in a lifetime best of 9.86. The Botswanan sprinter achieved his best results in the Diamond League when he won in the 200 metres in Lausanne in 2023 with 20.01 and in Monaco in 2024 with 19.87 and finished second in London in 2023 in 19.50.
Tebogo will face US sprinters Fred Kerley and Erryion Knighton. Kerley finished third in the Olympic final in the 100 metres in 9.81 in Paris three years after winning the silver medal in Tokyo. Kerley won the 100 metres world gold medal in Eugene 2022.
Knighton won two world medals finishing third in Eugene 2022 in 19.80 and second in Budapest 2023 in 19.75 and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 in 19.93 and in Paris 2024 in 19.99.
Jereem Richards won gold medals in the 200 metres at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 in 19.80 and in the 400 metres at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade 2022 with 45.00. This year Richards won the 200 metres in Lucerne in 20.19, finished third at the Diamond League meeting in the 400 metres in 44.18 and fourth in the Olympic final in Paris in 43.78.
Alexander Ogando finished fifth in the 200m at the World Championships in Eugene 2022 with 19.93 and at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 in 20.02.
Swiss fans will cheer on Timothé Mumenthaler and William Reais, who won the gold and bronze medals at the European Championships in Rome 2022.
Men’s 800 metres:
The men’s 800 metres race is shaping up as a high-quality race. The top four athletes ran under 1:42 in the Olympic final. Four of the top five finishers of the Paris final will line up in Lausanne: Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Olympic champion with 1:41.19, Marco Arop from Canada, Olympic silver medallist with 1:41.20 and world champion in Budapest 2023, Bryce Hoppel from the USA and Mohamed Attaoui from Spain, who finished fourth and fifth respectively in the Olympic final in Paris.
Wanyonyi became the youngest Olympic 800 metres champion and moved up to third place in the world all-time list behind David Rudisha (1:40.91) and Wilson Kipketer (1:41.11). Wanyonyi won the Diamond League final in Eugene 2023 with 1:42.80. This year he also won the Kenyan Trials in Nairobi in 1:41.70 at altitude. In his previous Diamond League races he won in Marrakesh in 1:43.84 and finished second in Paris in 1:41.58.
Arop won the world gold medal in Budapest in 1:44.24 and finished second at the Diamond League final in 1:42.85. The Canadian athlete set the North American record with 1:41.20 at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Hoppel won the world indoor gold medal in Glasgow 2024 in 1:44.92 and the US Trials in Eugene in 1:42.77. He finished fourth in the Olympic final in Paris in a US record of 1:41.67.
Attaoui finished second at the Monaco Diamond League meeting in a Spanish record of 1:42.04 and fourth in the Olympic final in Paris in 1:42.08.
Gabriel Tual won the European gold medal in Rome in 1:44.87 and improved Pierre Ambroise Bosse’s French record clocking 1:41.61 in the Paris Diamond League meeting in front of his home fans. Tual finished third in 1:42.10 at the Monaco Diamond League in Monaco and sixth in the Olympic final in Paris in 1:42.14.
Andreas Kramer won the world indoor silver medal in Glasgow 2024 and improved his Swedish record for the third time this summer with 1:43.13 at the Monaco Diamond League.
Catalin Tecuceanu came very close to breaking Marcello Fiasconaro’s Italian record when he clocked 1:43.75 at the Monaco Diamond League meeting. Tecuceanu won the European bronze medal in Rome, finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and improved Giuseppe D’Urso’s Italian indoor record with 1:45.00 in Madrid last February.
Men’s 1500 metres:
Double Diamond League champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will defend his 1500 and 5000 metres titles in next September’s Diamond League Finals in Brussels. Ingebrigtsen became one of the few athletes ever to win two Diamond League Trophies in the same season at last year’s Finals in Eugene, where he won the mile in 3:43.73 and the 3000 metres in 7:23.63 setting the European record over both distances.
Ingebrigtsen won the 1500m and the 5000 metres at the European Championships in Rome achieving the third consecutive double at this event. At the Olympic Games in Paris he finished fourth in the 1500 metres and won the 5000 metres final claiming the second Olympic title of his career following his gold medal in the 1500 metres in Tokyo. Athletissima will be an opportunity to bounce back after his 1500m disappointment and make another step towards his fourth career Diamond League title.
The Norwegian athlete finished second behind Josh Kerr in the Bowerman Mile in Eugene and won in Monaco improving his European record to 3:26.73. He returns to Lausanne where he won the 3000 metres in 2021 in 7:33.06 and the 1500 metres in 2022 in 3:29.05 and 2023 in 3:28.72.
Ingebrigtsen will renew his rivalry against Cole Hocker, who won a surprising Olympic gold medal in Paris in a new Olympic record and a North American record of 3:27.65. Hocker also won the world indoor silver medal in Glasgow and the US Olympic Trials in Eugene in 3:30.59. Hocker will be aiming to follow up his Olympic gold medal with his first Diamond League win. The other US athlete in the field is Hobbs Kessler, who finished fifth in the Olympic final in Paris in his lifetime best of 3:29.45.
The line-up will feature four-time Diamond League champion Timothy Cheruiyot and European indoor bronze medallist Azzedine Habz from France.
Cheruiyot finished second in Monaco setting his seasonal best with 3:28.71. The Kenyan athlete won in Lausanne in 2019 in 3:28.77.
Brian Komen from Kenya made a breakthrough this year winning his first Diamond League race in Doha in 3:32.43 and improved his PB to 3:28.80 in Monaco.
Habz won his first Diamond League race in Marrakesh in 3:32.86 and finished third in 3:30.30 in Oslo. The Frenchman improved his PB to 1:43.79 in the 800 metres in Paris.
Oliver Hoare from Australia won his first Diamond League race at the Emsley Carr Mile in London with 3:49.03 and set the Oceanian record in the 1500m with 3:29.41.
Swiss fans will support Dominic Lobalu, who won the European gold medal in the 10000m and bronze medal in the 5000m in Rome and finished fourth in the 5000m at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Men’s 110 metres hurdles:
Grant Holloway won the US Olympic Trials in Eugene with 12.86 setting the second fastest time in his career and his first Olympic gold medal in 12.99 in Paris.
Holloway will face Hansle Parchment for the second time after beating the Jamaican hurdler at the Eugene Diamond League meeting in 13.03 last May. Holloway is aiming to regain the Diamond League title he lost to Parchment last year in Eugene. Holloway won his second Diamond League race in Monaco in 13.01, but he has not secured the qualification for the Diamond League Final yet.
Daniel Roberts leads the Diamond League standings after his back-to-back wins in Xiamen and Suzhou. Roberts finished third at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene with 12.96 and won the silver medal at the Olympic Games in Paris in 13.09.
The entire podium of the Olympic Games is completed by Rasheed Broadbell, who won the bronze medal in Paris clocking the same time as Roberts.
Lorenzo Simonelli won the European gold medal in Rome improving his Italian record to 13.05 and finished second to Holloway in 13.07 at the Monaco Diamond League last July. Simonelli will try to bounce back from the disappointment at the Olympic Games, where he hit the ninth hurdle in the semifinal and did not reach the final. The Italian hurdler finished fourth at last year’s edition of Athletissima.
Cordell Tinch set the fourth fastest time in the world with 13.03 at the US Trials in Eugene, but he did not qualify for the Olympic Games after finishing fourth at the US Trials.
Sasha Zhoya from France won the first Diamond League of his career in Paris Charlety equalling his PB with 13.15. Zhoya clocked 13.34 in the semifinal of the Paris Olympic Games but he did not reach the final.
Swiss record holder Jason Joseph finished second in two editions of Athletissima in 13.11 in 2022 and in 13.23 in 2023. Joseph won the European indoor title in Istanbul 2023 in the 60 metres hurdles in 7.41 and the European bronze medal in Rome 2024 in 13.43 and improved his Swiss record to 13.08 in Zurich.
Women’s 400 metres hurdles:
Femke Bol won the past three editions of Athletissima in 2021 (53.05), in 2022 (52.95) and in 2023 (52.76) and claimed three consecutive Diamond League Trophies. The Dutch hurdler won her second European gold medal in Rome 2024 setting a championship record with 52.49. At the Olympic Games in Paris she won the bronze medal in the 400 metres hurdles in 52.15, the gold medal in the 4x400 mixed relay and the silver medal in the women’s 4x400 relay. She set the European record with 50.95 in La Chaux de Fonds becoming the second athlete in history to break the 51 seconds barrier and won two races in the circuit this year in Stockolm in 53.07 and in London in a Diamond League record of 51.30.
Rushell Clayton from Jamaica won the Jamaican Trials in Kingston in 52.51 and finished fifth at the Olympic Games in Paris in 52.68. She claimed two Diamond League races in Marrakesh in 53.98 and Oslo in 54.02.
Shamier Little, world silver medal in Budapest 2023, finished fourth at the US Olympic Trials but she bounced back by winning two Olympic gold medals in the women’s 4x400 relay and in the mixed 4x400 relay.
The other top names are Janieve Russell, gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 and fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, Andrenette Knight, fourth at the Diamond League meeting in London in 53.69, Louise Maraval from France, European bronze medallist in Rome in 54.23, and Ayomide Folorunso, sixth at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 and fifth at the European Championships in Rome 2024.
Women’s 100 metres hurdles:
Another traditional highlight is the women’s 100 metres hurdles, that features 2021 Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn, Danielle Williams from Jamaica, reigning world champion in Budapest 2023, Cyrena Samba Mayela from France, Nadine Visser from the Netherlands and Ditaji Kambundji from Switzerland.
Camacho Quinn won last year’s edition of Athletissima in 12.40 two months before finishing second at the World Championships in Budapest with 12.44. The Puerto Rican hurdler won two Olympic medals, finishing first in Tokyo 2021 in 12.37 and third in Paris in 12.36.
Samba Mayela, who trains with Camacho Quinn, won the world indoor silver medal in Glasgow in the 60 metres hurdles in 7.74, the European gold medal in Rome with 12.31 and the Olympic silver medal in Paris in 12.34 in front of her home fans. She won her first Diamond League race in Eugene last May in 12.52.
Visser improved her PB to 12.36 in La Chaux de Fonds last July and finished fifth in the Olympic final in 12.43.
Kambundji won the European indoor gold medal in the 60 metres hurdles in 7.91 in Istanbul 2023 and the European silver medal in in Rome in a Swiss record of 12.40. She won the first Diamond League race of her career in Doha with 12.49 last May.
The line-up features Alaysha Johnson and Grace Stark, who finished second and third respectively at this year’s US Olympic Trials with the same time of 12.31. Stark won the NCAA outdoor title in 12.47 and finished fifth in the Olympic final in Paris in 12.43.
Ackera Nugent won the world under 20 gold medal in Nairobi 2021 and the Jamaican Trials in Kingston with her PB of 12.28.
Women’s 100 metres:
Olympic 4x100 metres silver medallists Dina Asher Smith and Daryll Neita from Great Britain will clash against three-time world medallist Marie Josée Ta Lou from Ivory Coast.
Asher Smith, world champion in the 200 metres in Doha 2019, won two European gold medals in the 100 metres in 10.99 and in the 4x100 relay in 41.91. She finished fourth in the 200 metres at the Olympic Games in 22.22.
Neita won the European silver medal in the 200m in 22.50 in Rome and finished fourth in the 100m in 10.92 and fifth in the 200m in 22.23 at the Olympic Games in Paris. Both Asher Smith and Neita were part of the British 4x100 relay who won the Olympic silver medal in 41.85.
Ta Lou Smith won the 100 metres at last year’s edition of Athletissima in 10.88. The Ivorian sprinter set a seasonal best of 10.87 in the heats of the Olympic Games but she got injured in the final. She finished second in the 200m in 22.36 at the Bislett Games in Oslo.
Swiss fans will cheer on Mujinga Kambundji, who won her second consecutive European title in Rome in 22.49 and finished sixth in 10.99 in the Olympic final in her fourth appearance at this event. Kambundji will renew her rivalry against Germany’s Gina Luckenkemper, who won the European gold medal in Munich in a close photo-finish.
The only US sprinter in the field is Tamari Davis, who finished fourth at the National Olympic Trials in Eugene in 10.91 and clocked 10.99 in two Diamond League races this year in Doha and Monaco.
Tia Clayton finished second at the Jamaican Trials in 10.86 and seventh at the Olympic Games in 11.04 after clocking 10.89 in the semifinal.
Patrizia Van Der Weken finished fourth at the European Championships in Rome in 11.04 and won her first Diamond League in Paris last July in 11.06.
Men’s 400 metres:
Athletissima will feature two Olympic medallists: Matthew Hudson Smith from Great Britain (silver) and Muzala Samukonga from Zambia (bronze).
Matthew Hudson Smith improved the European record three times this season when he won two Diamond League in Oslo with 44.07 and in London in 43.74 and finished second to Hall at the Olympic Games in Paris in 43.44.
Samukonga made his breakthrough in August 2022 when he won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022. The Zambian athlete broke the 44 seconds barrier for the first time clocking 43.91 at the Continental Tour Gold in Gaborone. At the Paris Olympic Games Samukonga improved his national record twice to 43.81 in the semifinal and 43.74 in the final to win the bronze medal. Samukonga has followed in the footsteps of his compatriot Samuel Matete, who won the Olympic silver medal in the 400 metres hurdles in Atlanta 1996.
Olympic champion Quincy Hall was forced to withdraw from the Lausanne meeting due to an injury. Hall was replaced by his compatriot Bryce Deadmon, who won the Olympic gold medal in the 4x400 relay with 2:54.43 and the silver medal with the mixed relay.
Deadmon set his PB of 44.22 at the US National Championships in Eugene and finished fourth at the 2024 US Olympic Trials in 44.61.
Charles Dobson from Great Britain made his breakthrough on 15 May when he improved his PB to 44.46 in Savona. Dobson won the silver medal at the European Championships in Rome improving his PB to 44.38. He set another PB wit 44.23 at the London Diamond League and clocked 44.48 in the semifinal of the Olympic Games.
Men’s long jump:
The three medallists of the Paris Olympic Games will be in action at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise.
Double Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou from Greece will clash against Wayne Pinnock from Jamaica and Mattia Furlani from Italy, and Simon Ehammer from Switzerland, who finished second, third and fourth respectively at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Tentoglou won his second world indoor gold medal with 8.22m beating Furlani on countback in a very close competition in Glasgow. The Greek jumper started the outdoor season with his third consecutive European gold medal with a mark of 8.65m, which he repeated twice in the same competition. He won his second consecutive Olympic gold medal with 8.48m becoming the first man since four-time champion Carl Lewis in 1996 to retain the Olympic long jump title.
Pinnock finished second at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 with 8.50m and won the Olympic silver medal with 8.36m.
Furlani won two silver medals at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow with 8.22m, at the European Championships in Rome with a world under 20 record of 8.38m and the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Paris with 8.34m, just 4 cm off his world under 20 record. Furlani became the first Italian long jumper to reach the Olympic podium since Los Angeles 1984 when Giovanni Evangelisti claimed the bronze medal. Furlani equalled the longest mark for a bronze medal in the history of the Olympic Games.
Ehammer won the world indoor gold medal in the heptathlon with a Swiss record of 6418 points. The Swiss athlete won the European bronze medal in the long jump in Rome with 8.31m after setting a seasonal best of 8.43m and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 8.20m.
Women’s 800 metres:
Kenya’s Mary Moraa is chasing her second consecutive win in Lausanne one year after finishing first at the 2023 edition of Athletissima meeting in 1:57.43. Moraa went on to win the world gold medal in Budapest in 1:56.03 in 2023. Moraa won the Olympic bronze medal in Paris in 1:57.42.
Georgia Bell from Great Britain made a breakthrough this year in the 1500m winning the silver medal at the European Championships in Rome and the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Paris breaking Laura Muir’s national record with 3:52.61. Bell improved her PB to 1:56.28 in the 800 metres at the London Diamond League meeting in front of her home fans.
Bell’s compatriot Jemma Reekie won the 800 metres world indoor silver medal in Glasgow 2024 and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 in 1:56.90 and fifth at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 1:57.72. This year Reekie took fifth place in the 1500 metres at the European Championships in Rome and improved her PB to 1:55.61 in the 800 metres at the London Diamond League meeting.
Shafiqua Maloney from St. Vincent and Grenadine finished a surprising fourth in the Olympic 800 metres final in 1:57.66. Maloney also improved her PB to 50.63 in the 400 metres in Lignano Sabbiadoro last July.
Renelle Lamote won three European silver medals in 2016, 2018 and 2022 and finished fifth in 1:58.19 in the Olympic final in Paris in 1:58.19.
Natoya Goule Toppin from Jamaica finished fifth in the World Championships in Eugene 2022 in 1:57.90 and improved her national record to 1:55.96 at the Diamond League in Eugene in 2023.
The line-up also features Nia Akins and Allie Wilson, who finished first and second at the US Trials in Eugene in 1:57.36 and 1:57.52 respectively.
Halimah Nakaayi from Uganda won the world gold medal in Doha 2019 and improved her PB to 1:57.26 at the London Diamond League meeting last July.
Four Swiss 800 metres middle distance runners set the qualifying standard for the Olympic Games. The local crowd will cheer on Rachel Pellaud and world under 20 silver medallist Audrey Werro, who finished first and second at the Swiss Championships improving their PBs to 1:58.60 and 1:58.67 respectively.
Women’s 3000 metres:
Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu will clash against her compatriots Diribe Welteji, Ejgayehu Taye and Tsigie Gebreselama in the women’s 3000 metres.
Hailu won the world indoor title in the 1500 metres in Glasgow last March and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 and at the World Championships in Eugene 2022 over this distance. Hailu improved her PB to 3:55.28 at the World indoor Tour meeting in Torun.
Welteji finished fourth in the 1500m Olympic final in Paris setting a PB of 3:52.75 and won the world silver medal in Budapest 2023 in 3:55.69.
Taye won the world bronze medal in the 10000 metres in Budapest 2023 and finished sixth in the 5000m at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
Gebrselama won the world cross country silver medal in Bathurst 2023 and finished fourth in the half marathon at the 2023 World Road Running Championships in Riga. She set a PB of 14:18.76 in Eugene last May.
The other top names are Medina Eisa, who set a 5000m PB of 14:16.54 in London 2023 and finished seventh in the 5000m Olympic final in Paris, Georgia Griffith from Australia, winner in the 3000 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Oslo in 8:24.20, Aynadis Mebrathu from Ethiopia, who improved her PB to 14:22.76 in Eugene, Marta Garcia from Spain, who improved her PB to 8:29.32 in the 3000m in Oslo, Elise Cranny from the USA, who set a PB of 8:29.96 in Eugene, and Melissa Courtney Bryant from Great Britain, European indoor bronze medallist in the 3000 metres in Istanbul, Sarah Billings from Australia, who improved her PB to 3:59.59 in Xiamen 2024, Nathalie Blomqvist from Finland, who set her PB of 8:32.23 in Oslo.
Women’s high jump:
Yaroslava Mahuchik from the Ukraine enjoyed a dream season. She her second consecutive European title in Rome with 2.01m, broke Stefka Kostadinova’s world record by clearing 2.10m in the Charlety Stadium in Paris. One month later the Ukrainian jumper won her first Olympic gold medal with 2.00m beating Nicola Olyslagers on countback. Mahuchik has won the Diamond Trophy in Zurich 2022 and Eugene 2023 with the same height of 2.03m. She finished second in 2021 with 1.98m and third in 2023 with 1.96m at her previous appearances at Athletissima.
Mahuchik will resume her rivalry against Olyslagers, who won the world indoor gold medal in Glasgow 2024 beating her Ukrainian opponent.
Mahuchik and Olyslagers went head to head in many Diamond League meetings in recent years. Mahuchik won her most recent battles against Olyslagers at last year’s final in Eugene with 2.03m and in Stockolm and Paris this year.
Olyslagers took the win at last year’s edition of Athletissima with 2.02m when the high jump was held as a City Event. Olyslagers cleared 2.01m at the Paris Diamond League meeting and won her second consecutive Olympic silver medal.
Ukraine’s Iryna Gerashchenko is set to compete in Lausanne. Gerashchenko won two bronze medals at the European Championships in Rome and at the Olympic Games in Paris and finished fourth at the World Championships in Eugene 2022 with 2.00m.
Gerashchenko shared third place with Australia’s Eleanor Patterson at the Olympic Games in Paris. Patterson won the world gold medal in Eugene 2022 with 2.02m.
The line-up also features Lamara Distin from Jamaica, Commonwealth Games champion in Birmingham and NCAA champion in 2022, Christina Honsel from Germany, sixth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 1.95m, Ella Junnila from Finland, fifth at the European Championships in Rome and bronze medallist at the European indoor Championships in Torun 2021, and Safina Sadullayeva from Uzbekistan, seventh at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Men’s javelin throw:
Neeraj Chopra from India returns to Lausanne, where he won his first Diamond League competition with 89.08m in 2022. That year Chopra won the Diamond League title of his career in Zurich with 88.44m becoming the first Indian athlete from his country to win the Diamond Trophy. Chopra won gold medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo with 87.58m and at the World Championships in Budapest 2023 with 88.17. This year the Indian javelin thrower won the Olympic silver medal with 89.45m coming close to his PB of 89.94m set at the Stockolm in 2022.
Anderson Peters won his first Olympic medal when he finished third in Paris 2024 with 88.54m. The Grenadan thrower won two world gold medals in Doha 2019 and Eugene 2022.
Jakub Vadlejch from Czechia won the European gold medal in Rome 2024 with 88.65m and finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 88.50m. The Czech thrower collected the Olympic silver medal in Tokyo 2021, two world medals (silver in London 2017 and bronze in Budapest 2023), the European silver medal in Munich 2022 and three Diamond League Trophies in 2016, 2017 and 2023. He won at the Diamond League meeting in Doha with 88.38m.
Julian Weber from Germany won the European silver medal in Rome last June two years after his win in Munich in front of his home fans. Weber set a seasonal best of 88.37m in Dessau and finished sixth with 87.40m at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Julius Yego from Kenya, world champion in Beijing 2015 and Olympic silver medallist in Rio de Janeiro 2016, returned to his best form when he finished fifth at the Olympic Games in Paris with 87.72m.
The other athletes in the line-up are Edis Matusevicius from Latvia, who improved his PB to 85.68m this year, Lassi Etelatalo from Finland, European bronze medallist with 86.44m in Munich 2022, Andrian Mardare from Moldova, who finished seventh at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021 and the World Championships in Eugene 2022, and Roderick Genki Dean from Japan, who won three national titles and set a PB of 84.28m.
Women’s shot put:
Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye from Germany will take on Olympic silver medallist Maddison Lee Wesche from New Zealand and world indoor champion Sarah Mitton from Canada.
Ogunleye is aiming to continue her dream season in the women’s shot put after winning the world indoor silver medal in Glasgow with 20.19m and the Olympic gold medal in Paris with 20.00m.
Lee Wesche, world under 20 champion in Tampere, finished fourth with 19.62m at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow and won the Olympic silver medal in Paris with 19.86m.
Chase Jackson won two consecutive world outdoor gold medals in Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023 and won the US Trials title in Eugene with 20.10m, but she did not get through to the final at the the Olympic Games in Paris.
Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands won her second consecutive European title in Rome last June and improved her national record to 20.33m at the Fanny Blankers Koen Games in Hengelo.
The other top names in the line-up are Raven Saunders from the USA, Olympic silver medallist in Tokyo 2021, Danniel Thomas Dodd from Jamaica, world silver medallist in Doha 2019, USA’s Maggie Ewen, winner in the Diamond League Final in Zurich in 2021, and Alina Kenzel from Germany, fourth at the European Championships in Rome with 18.69m.
