by Alfonz Juck
Held in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Athletissiam should be on your track geek vacation list! The Stadium Pontaise is fantastic and hosts a three-ring circus of athletics. The Swiss crowd loves their local athletes but, as a sophisticated audience, loves that the global stars come to Switzerland.
Eugene, Oregon, USA
July 15-24, 2022, photo by Kevin Morris
The management team at Athletissima knows how to present a meet and treat its athletes. Pressers are quite good, and we have some classics from there.
The big question is, who will do what in Lausanne? Noah Lyles in the 200m? Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100m? Tobi Amusan in the 100m hurdles? I think that the Men’s shot put could be insane, as Crouser and Kovacs have had to train for too long without a competition, and…finally, watch for Mondo Duplantis to grab a star or two, say 6.16m-6.20m!
Eugene, Oregon, USA
July 15-24, 2022, photo by Kevin Morris
The deep thought here is that Mondo Duplantis kept it under control at the European Champs; considering the conditions, Just how high will the super Swede go in the city center of Lausanne?
Lyles, Amusan, Shelly-Ann, how fast will they be?
LAUSANNE (SUI): First Wanda DL meet after the European and NACAC Championships is promising a firework of top results. The 47th Athletissima is sold out (12 700 tickets), and nearly all-stars will compete. Every event is a highlight itself, but still loaded sprints men 200 m and women 100 m, also women 100 m hurdles and men 110 m hurdles. Ingebrigtsen is in the 1500 m, Duplantis in the street pole vault on Thursday, and Rojas in triple. Top battle men shot put.
Short previews
Men
200m – Seven entrants have broken the 20 second-barrier this year including world 200m champion Noah Lyles (19.31) and world 400m champion Michael Norman (19.83) with U20 record holder Erriyon Knighton (19.49).
1500m – Double European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:29.47) takes on recently crowned Commonwealth champion Oliver Hoare (3:30.12) and Kenyans Timothy Cheruiyot (3:30.21) and Abel Kipsang (3:30.82).
3000m steeplechase – Soufiane El Bakkali is the big favorite, with Lamecha Girma absent after injury in training.
110m hurdles – Grant Holloway (12.99) and Trey Cunningham (13.00) with Olympic champion Hansle Parchment (13.08) are the fastest performers on season’s bests.
400 m hurdles (non-DL) – US sub 48 runner Rosser against home top name Bonvin and mainly French Happio.
High jump – Top three from Oregon (Barshim, Woo, Protsenko) all compete along with recently crowned European champion Gianmarco Tamberi.
Pole vault (non-DL) – Armand Duplantis will be looking to challenge his meeting record of 6.07m in the street meeting held the day before the main programme.
Triple jump – Jordan Diaz and Andy Diaz have the longest season’s bests with 17.87m and 17.68m, respectively. The line-up also features world indoor champion Lazaro Martinez and Olympic bronze medallist Hugues Fabrice Zango.
Shot put – The Big Three (Ryan Crouser, Tom Walsh, Joe Kovacs) all compete along with recently crowned European champion Filip Mihaljevic along with Eugene bronze medalist Josh Awotunde.
Javelin throw – Olympic winner Chopra is back to compete, but Vadlejch aims for another win.
Women
100m – Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who ran 10.60 at this meeting last year, will be looking to extend her unbeaten streak. She faces fellow world medallists and Jamaicans Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah, as well as newly minted African record-holder Marie Josee Ta Lou and European 200m champion Mujinga Kambundji.
400m – Marileidy Paulino (49.49) is one of four sub-50 second performers in the line-up, along with Sada Williams (49.75), Natalia Kaczmarek (49.86), and Candice McLeod (49.87).
800m (non-DL) – Eight sub-2:00 performers on seasons best are due to compete. The fastest based on the season’s bests are Allie Wilson (1:58.18) and Jemma Reekie (1:58.48).
3000m – Francine Niyonsaba returns from injury. The line-up also features Europe’s finest Sifan Hassan, Laura Muir and Konstanze Klosterhalfen as well as Ethiopians Dawit Seyaum and Ejgayehu Taye. The meeting record of 8:31.84 could be vulnerable.
100m hurdles – All three medallists from Oregon compete (Tobi Amusan, Britany Anderson, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn) along with former world record-holder Kendra Harrison.
400m hurdles – Treble European champion Femke Bol is the big favorite, with Sydney McLaughlin not competing. Her nearest challenger should be former world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad. Can Bol improve her meet record of 53.05?
Pole vault – A largely European field that includes all three medallists from Munich (Murto, Stefanidi, Sutej). The only non-European athlete in the line-up is Commonwealth champion Nina Kennedy.
Triple jump – Yulimar Rojas should extend her unbeaten streak. The line-up also includes European champion Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk who jumped 15.02m in Munich.
4x100m (non-DL) – After not getting through the heats in Munich, Switzerland will be looking to make amends on home soil.
