For the past month, we have had national championships, then the Commonwealth Games, and last week, the European Athletics Championships!
The Lausanne Diamond League Meeting, held August 20-21, 2026, at the Stadium Pontaise, is a wondrous meet that captures the flavor of Swiss and European Athletics!
This writer loves the meet, visiting it over the past two decades, enjoying the presser, the crowd, and the magic of the Stadium Pontaise.
Here are my five big thoughts on the Athletissima meeting!
- Audrey Werro wins the 800m in MR 1:55.33, taking the win for the Swiss crowd! Audrey Werro barely held off Femke Broeders-Bol by .08! Bol’s 1:55.41 broke the 34-year-old NR of Ellen Van Langen (1:55.54) from Barcelona 1992! The Women’s 800 meters continues to deliver, week after week!
- The Men’s pole vault is stunning! Two vaulters over 6.15m! I am trying to recall a meet where two vaulters were over 6.15 meters, and I do not recall one. Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.21 meters to win the pole vault in the City Center! Emmanouil Karalis, GRE, set an NR with his 6.16 meters!
- Rai Benjamin wins in his only 400m hurdles of the year! Rai Benjamin told us back in the winter that he wanted to do some different races. Rai looked strong over the ten hurdles, and his speed, which he’s been concentrating on in the 400m (PB down to 44.05), showed with the second-best 400m hurdles of the season in 46.67!
- A superb Men’s javelin! Oh my gosh, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Pathirage surpassed the 88.05m throw by India’s Neeraj Chopra, with Pathirage’s 88.14 meters, winning by nine centimeters!
- Masai Russell Just Dominates the 100m hurdles! Masai Russell is hurdling in an incredible fashion, week after week. Masai is so focused in her races, in the present, one hurdle after another. Masai took gold in 12.27 seconds and set the meet record!
