by Alfonz Juck
2025 Zurich DL Weltklasse Finals Preview, by EME News
Packed crowds expecting grand finale ZURICH (SUI): The 2025 Wanda Diamond League season comes to a close in Zurich on Wednesday and Thursday, starting with a city event competition for field events at the Sechseläutenplatz tomorrow, followed by the remaining events at the sold-out Stadion Letzigrund on Thursday. Both days are sold out. On Wednesday, Mondo Duplantis can provide something special. For Thursday, as rain is in the forecast, it will be tough, but middle-distance runners still can achieve fast times, and the duel between Lyles and Tebogo over 200 m is very special. After the DL final, athletes are making final preparations for the World Championships. It will be the 15th DL final since 2010. Short event-by-event previews Men 100: Americans Trayvon Bromell and Christian Coleman have the fastest times of those competing. Akani Simbine, Ackeem Blake and World Indoor Champion Jeremiah Azu also run. Coleman won in 2018 and 2023.
200: Wildcard Noah Lyles faces Olympic Champion Letsile Tebogo. Lyles won four times, while Tebogo has yet to win a DL trophy.
400: Americans Christopher Bailey, Brussels winner Jacory Patterson and Vernon Norwood race Botswanan duo Busang Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori. New DL champion to come.
800: Strong field with Olympic podium Emmanuel Wanyonyi (for 3rd trophy), Marco Arop and Djamel Sedjati plus World Indoor Champion Josh Hoey who won in Lausanne.
1500: Brussels DL winner Niels Laros faces American Yared Nuguse, the latter seeking a win to secure a spot in Tokyo. Youngster Phanuel Koech of Kenya competes also. T. Cheruiyot won 4 times in the past.
3000: Americans Grant Fisher and Graham Blanks face Andreas Almgren of Sweden, Biniam Mehary (asking for fast pace), Samuel Tefera, Dominic Lobalu and Kuma Girma. New DL champion to come.
110H: Cordell Tinch and Rachid Muratake headline alongside Trey Cunningham, home athlete Jason Joseph also in the mix. New DL champion to come.
400H: Karsten Warholm is the star of the field, joined by Ezekiel Nethaniel of Nigeria. Warholm won in 2019 and 2021.
3000SC: No clear favourite, with Edmund Serem (defending the title), Abrham Sime, Frederik Ruppert and Mohamed Jhinaoui in the field. New DL champion to come.
PV Wednesday: How high will Mondo Duplantis go for 5th trophy? Joined by Emmanouil Karalis who is also seeking 6 m.
HJ: Olympic Champion Hamish Kerr is joined by Americans JuVaughn Harrison, Shelby McEwen and Romaine Beckford of Jamaica. But it is wide open. New winner to come.
LJ Wednesday: Miltiadis Tentoglou headlines the field, Simon Ehammer beeing the local hero. Tentoglou won in 2022 and Ehammer in 2023.
TJ: Andy Diaz Hernandez and Pedro Pichardo (already 3 wins). Zango in his last Diamond League competition.
SP Wednesday: Joe Kovacs in shape (winner of 2015, 2022, 2023) is joined by compatriot Payton Otterdahl. Is Ryan Crouser healthy enough, Wild Card for Kovacs could be on the table in case.
DT: Another strong field with Alekna, Ceh (1 win), Denny (2 wins) and Stahl (2 wins).
JT: Neeraj Chopra returns to competition (winner 2022) alongside Julian Weber who is in shape and never won the DL.
Women 100: Julien Alfred headlines after missing earlier DL competitions and wants to defend. Marie Jose Ta Lou Smith competes in both the 100m and 200m.
200: Largely an American and British field with Anavia Battle, Brittany Brown (defender), Jenna Prandini facing Amy Hunt and Dina Asher Smth.
400: An excellent field with Paulino (4 wins already) competing against Naser (2 wins) once again. European competition from Lieke Klaver, Henriette Jaeger and Amber Anning.
800: Tsige Duguma, Brit Georgia Hunter Bell and Audrey Werro (last weekend top time) compete with 1:56 PBs. World Indoor Champion Prudence Sekgodiso is also in the field. New champion to come.
1500: Australians Jess Hull and Linden Hall are amongst the fastest in the field. They face amongst others Sarah Healy of Ireland, Heather Maclean and Birke Haylom. New champion to come.
3000: Hirut Meshesha, Linika Amebaw and Fantaye Belayneh lead an Ethiopian challenge against European Indoor medallist Salome Afonso, Georgia Griffith and Marta Garcia of Spain. New champion.
100H: Strong field once again in the 100m hurdles with World Record Holder Amusan (already 3 trophies), Americans Stark, Marshall and Harrison, Jamaicans Nugent and Williams, plus European Indoor one-two Kambundji and Visser. Could be anybodys race.
400H: Femke Bol headlines the field looking for her fifth consecutive Diamond League trophy.
3000SC: Faith Cherotich as defender leads the field alongside 2022 World Champion Norah Jeruto.
PV Wednesday: Katie Moon (winner from 2023), Sandi Morris and Angelica Moser lead the pole vault field, moved forward one day due to forecast weather conditions on Thursday.
HJ Wednesday: Olympic podium competes with Yaroslava Mahuchikh (for the 4th trophy), Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson.
LJ: Claire Bryant, Larissa Iapichino (1 wins), Annik Kalin and Malaika Mihambo (1 win) are amongst the leading contenders of the long jump. Pretty open.
TJ: Cuban trio Leyanis Perez Hernardez (1 win), Davisleydi Velazco and Liadagmis Povea compete alongside Olympic Champion Thea Lafond.
SP Wednesday: Chase Jackson goes in search of another big throw after a best of 20.90m at the Brussels Diamond League and for 3rd DL trophy. Sarah Mitton and Jessica Schilder lead the challenge.
DT: Valarie Allman (4 trophies), Sandra Elkasevic (6 trophies) and Yaime Perez (2 trophies) headline the field.
JT: Olympic Champion Haruka Kitaguchi (for third trophy) prepares for a home World Championships, facing in shape Serbian Adriana Vilagos.
photo by #DiamondLeagueAG
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