Preview: Lyles, Wanyonyi, and Hodgkinson Headline Athletissima Lausanne Diamond League Meet

Posted by: Watch Athletics

Tuesday, 19 August 2025

Twenty-seven Olympic medallists from Paris 2024 will light up the Athletissima Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Wednesday, August 20, held at the historic Stade Olympique de la Pontaise. The event will feature the complete Olympic podiums in four disciplines: the women’s pole vault, men’s and women’s 800 metres, and women’s long jump.

Men’s 100m – Lyles Returns to Familiar Ground

The men’s 100m promises a preview of the upcoming Tokyo World Championships final. Olympic champion Noah Lyles faces strong opposition from double Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek and Jamaican finalist Oblique Seville. Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson was forced to withdraw due to shin discomfort and will not compete in any remaining Diamond League meetings this season.

Lyles, who has won the Lausanne 200m three times (2018, 2019, 2022), returns as the Olympic 100m champion (9.79 in Paris) and U.S. record holder over 200m (19.31). His 2025 season highlights include a 200m world lead of 19.63 at the U.S. Championships and a 19.88 victory in Monaco.

Bednarek enters in superb form after clocking 9.79 for the 100m and 19.67 for the 200m at the U.S. Championships. Seville, meanwhile, scored his first Diamond League victory in London (9.86) and brings consistent championship pedigree. Other contenders include Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, U.S. sprinter Courtney Lindsey (9.82 PB), South Africa’s Akani Simbine, British champion Zharnel Hughes, and Swiss star Timothé Mumenthaler, the 2024 European 200m champion.

Men’s 800m – Wanyonyi vs. Arop Rematch

The men’s 800m is set for a blockbuster rematch of last year’s race, where Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN) stopped the clock in 1:41.11, the joint second-fastest performance in history. Wanyonyi again faces Olympic silver medallist and world champion Marco Arop (CAN), alongside European record holder Gabriel Tual (FRA).

At the Paris Olympics, Wanyonyi edged Arop by just 0.01, winning in 1:41.19. Both men have continued to shine on the circuit, with Wanyonyi collecting four Diamond League victories in 2025, including a 1:41.44 world lead in Monaco. Arop responded with a 1:42.22 season’s best in London, while Tual clocked 1:41.61 earlier this year.

Also in the mix are Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui (1:42.04 NR), Britain’s Max Burgin (1:42.36 PB), and Americans Bryce Hoppel (1:41.67 NR in Paris) and Josh Hoey (1:42.01 PB). Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela and Switzerland’s Ivan Pelizza complete the world-class field.

Women’s 800m – Hodgkinson’s Triumphant Return

Fresh off her comeback from injury, Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson headlines the women’s 800m. She won in London last weekend in 1:54.74, the second-fastest time of her career. Hodgkinson faces compatriots Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell Hunter, South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso, Swiss sensation Audrey Werro, and Botswana’s Oratile Nowe.

Sekgodiso, the world indoor champion, has been consistently sharp, while Reekie boasts four Diamond League victories. Bell Hunter recorded 1:56.74 in London, the second-fastest time in the world this year. Werro, the European U23 champion, thrilled home fans with a 1:57.25 Swiss record and has also lowered her 400m PB to 51.03. Nowe, meanwhile, impressed with a 1:56.79 Botswanan record in Silesia.

Women’s 100m Hurdles – Clash of Champions

Swiss fans will rally behind Ditaji Kambundji, the European indoor champion, as she lines up against Olympic gold medallist Masai Russell, world record holder Tobi Amusan, Jamaican star Ackera Nugent, and Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser.

Russell has been sensational, setting the U.S. record at 12.17 earlier this year. Kambundji is enjoying her best season yet, while Amusan, Nugent, and former world record holder Kendra Harrison round out an elite field.

Men’s 110m Hurdles – Tinch Tops a Stacked Line-Up

Cordell Tinch, the world leader, spearheads a deep men’s 110m hurdles field featuring Trey Cunningham, Just Kwaou Mathey, Jason Joseph, Enrique Llopis, and European champion Lorenzo Simonelli. Tinch’s 12.87 earlier this season elevated him to fourth all-time, while Mathey recently became just the third Frenchman to dip under 13 seconds.

Women’s 200m – Jackson vs. Asher-Smith

Double world champion Shericka Jackson headlines a loaded women’s 200m featuring Dina Asher-Smith, Britany Brown, Marie Josée Ta Lou Smith, and 400m Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino. Jackson remains the clear favorite with her 21.41 PB, but Asher-Smith (22.14 SB), Ta Lou Smith (10.87 SB over 100m), and Paulino add intrigue.

Other Highlights

Women’s 400m: Salwa Eid Naser takes on rising star Isabella Whittaker, European champion Natalia Bukowiecka, and Lieke Klaver.
Men’s 5000m: Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet vs. U.S. record-breaker Grant Fisher and Swiss champion Dominic Lobalu.
Women’s High Jump: World record holder Yaroslava Mahuchik leads a field that includes Nicola Olyslagers, Eleanor Patterson, and rising Serbian star Angelina Topic.
Men’s Pole Vault (Street Event, Aug. 19): Sam Kendricks, Emmanouil Karalis, and Kurtis Marshall headline on Lake Geneva’s shores.
Men’s Long Jump: Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou takes on Wayne Pinnock, Mattia Furlani, and Simon Ehammer.
Men’s Shot Put: World leader Leonardo Fabbri faces Joe Kovacs, Josh Awotunde, and Payton Otterdahl.
Women’s Javelin: Olympic champion Haruka Kitaguchi faces Adriana Vilagos, Elina Tzengko, and Flor Denis Ruiz.
Women’s Pole Vault: Home favorite Angelica Moser meets Marie-Julie Bonnin and Tina Šutej.
Men’s 400m Hurdles: Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel seeks his first Diamond League win.
Women’s 3000m Steeplechase: Norah Jeruto leads a strong field including Sembo Almayew and Doris Lemngole.
Women’s 4x100m Relay: Switzerland battles Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and others in front of home fans.