by Larry EderEditor’s note (Updated July 7): The meeting in Lausanne has been popular with American athletes for all forty editions. Each year, in July, the best athletes from around the world descend to Lausanne. The tradition continues.
Jenny Simpson, photo by PhotoRun.net
Lausanne is one of the jewels on the crown of athletics. This year, Chris Chavez will be covering the meeting for RunBlogRun and the Running Network. Here is his focus on the American performances in upcoming Lausanne, in its 40th year!
Emma Coburn, photo by PhotoRun.net
The word is that Emma Coburn and Jenny Simpson are looking for AR type races. The men’s 5000 meters with Mo Farah, should be an epic battle!
Watch for more on Tuesday night and Wednesday!
Not too many Americans competed at the Lausanne Diamond League due to its proximity to the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships yet there still were some astounding performances on display. More Americans have started heading overseas for their own European circuit plans. The Lausanne Diamond League is the first stop for several stars.
Action takes place on July 9 in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Here’s what to watch for:
Men’s 100-meter dash:
No ducking in this one. This race will serve as the best litmus test for the IAAF World Championships with just the gleaming absence of Usain Bolt and young stars like Trayvon Bromell and Andre De Grasse. If you spend a lot of time watching classics from the early 2000’s World Championships and Olympics, the this one is for you.
Justin Gatlin, Asafa Powell, Tyson Gay, Michael Rodgers and Kim Collins star in the men’s 100-meter dash. Factor in younger star Keston Bledman of Trinidad and Tobago.
Major props to the Lausanne meet directors for pulling this one off and having these men agree to race against each other on the international stage before Beijing. You’ve got the world’s No. 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 runners in the race.
Women’s steeplechase:
Still going through steeplechase withdrawals after the epic battle for third place at the U.S. Championships? No worries. Lausanne has you covered. Colleen Quigley and Leah O’Connor meet again at the distance while being joined by top international competition like world No. 4 Hiwot Ayalew and the former Florida Gator Genevieve LaCaze. Emma Coburn has a tough act to follow from Evan Jager’s run in Paris, but could she set a new personal best and American record (remember, her personal best is faster than Jenny Simpson’s American record, but was not ratified due to Emma not being given a drug test after the race in Glasgow).
Women’s 1,500-meter run:
Jenny Simpson faces the first of maybe a few international quizzes before the big test in Beijing. Simpson’s season thus far at 1,500-meters is flawless with victories at the Prefontaine Classic, Rome Golden Gala Meet and the U.S. National Championship. In both international races, Simpson has run 4:00.98 or faster, so this may be just another quick test for her ahead of possibly Monaco and Beijing.
Women’s 400-meter dash:
Sanya Richards-Ross makes her first appearance since failing to make the U.S. national team. She will be joined by Natasha Hastings and Phyllis Francis to take on the likes of Novalene Williams-Mills and Regina George.
Women’s 200-meter dash:
Another week has gone by and the wait will be for this race to be over and hear what Allyson Felix’s latest verdict is in whether she will declare for the 200-meter or 400-meter in Beijing…or do both. The conversation is still in the air. Dezerea Bryant gets a taste of Diamond League action alongside Jeneba Tarmoh.
Women’s 100-meter hurdles:
Five of the eight competitors in this race are Americans, headlined by U.S. champion Dawn Harper-Nelson. If you want an alternative to what could’ve happened in the final in Eugene, this race is for you. Queen Harrison and Jasmine Stowers are out to enact revenge.
Women’s 800-meter run:
Shannon Rowbury gets a little test of speed in this field, but it’s actually Molly Ludlow who enters with the fastest personal best with her 1:58.68 fresh from Paris. It was a long wait since 2011 for her to PR, but can she do it again less than a week removed from the Paris Diamond League?
Men’s 400-meter hurdles:
Features Bershawn Jackson and Michael Tinsley taking on Javier Culson per usual on the Diamond League circuit.
Men’s 800-meter run:
Matt Centrowitz will get to test his speed at the distance in a rematch against David Rudisha from the Adidas Grand Prix, where the 25-year-old set a personal bets of 1:44.62. Could he make a case for the best American at the distance in 2015 without having competed at the event at the U.S. Championships?
