Weltklasse Zürich

Weltklasse Zürich

The host stadium – Letzigrund
Date August
Location Zurich, Switzerland Switzerland
Event type Track and field
Established 1928
Official site Weltklasse Zürich

Weltklasse Zürich (German: World Class Zurich) is an annual, invitation-only, world-class track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, generally held at the end of August. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League (which succeeded the Golden League in 2010). One of the first large-scale international athletics events (outside the Olympics), it is sometimes referred to as the one day Olympics. Weltklasse Zürich first took place on August 12, 1928. In the beginning, the meeting was nicknamed by the public as the "Nurmi meeting" after the most admired and celebrated participant at the time, Paavo Nurmi. On 21 June 1960, on the Letzigrund track, Armin Hary managed to run the 100 metres as the first human being in 10.0 seconds.

Track Surface Yields Fast Times

The most popular "rubber-like" track surface utilized at all modern Olympic and World Championship competitions (both indoors and outdoors) are those made by Italian company Mondo.[1] However, a new surface at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich was developed in 2014 by Swiss company CONICA. The existing track will not be replaced but retopped on 12 June 2014 with CONICA's new surface, the triple-layer CONIPUR M.[2] Tests conducted by the Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics of the German Sport University Cologne have confirmed the benefits of the new system. “The new surface provides athletes with better stability of the big toes, ankles, and in particular of their knees,” said the professor who led the studies. “This effect results in a smaller loss of energy in these joints, and therefore in less oscillation of the body’s center of gravity. The new surface of the track therefore creates even better conditions for fast times.”[3] The new surface will be installed in June 2014 at a cost of 800,000 Swiss francs (£535,000 pounds/$901,000 dollars/€655,000 euros) and will be paid by the City of Zurich, which owns Letzigrund Stadium.[4]

World records

Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at Weltklasse Zürich.[5]

Date Event Record Athlete Nationality
2009, 28 August Pole vault 5.06 m Yelena Isinbayeva  Russia
2006, 18 August 100 m 9.77 (+1.0 m/s) Asafa Powell  Jamaica
1997, 13 August 800 m 1:41.24 Wilson Kipketer  Denmark
1997, 13 August 3000 m steeplechase 7:59.08 Wilson Boit Kipketer  Kenya
1997, 13 August 5000 m 12:41.86 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia
1996, 14 August Mile 4:12.56 Svetlana Masterkova  Russia
1995, 16 August 5000 m 12:44.39 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia
1995, 16 August 3000 m steeplechase 7:59.18 Moses Kiptanui  Kenya
1992, 19 August 3000 m steeplechase 8:02.08 Moses Kiptanui  Kenya
1991, 7 August 4 x 100m relay 37.67 Michael Marsh
Leroy Burrell
Dennis Mitchell
Carl Lewis		  United States
1989, 16 August 110 m hurdles 12.92 (−0.1 m/s) Roger Kingdom  United States
1988, 17 August 400 m 43.29 Harry ("Butch") Reynolds  United States
1985, 21 August Mile 4:16.71 Mary Slaney  United States
1984, 22 August 100 m 10.76 (+1.7 m/s) Evelyn Ashford  United States
1981, 19 August Mile 3:48.53 Sebastian Coe  United Kingdom
1981, 19 August 110 m hurdles 12.93 (−0.2 m/s) Renaldo Nehemiah  United States
1980, 13 August 1500 m 3:52.47 Tatyana Kazankina  Soviet Union
1979, 15 August 1500 m 3:32.1 Sebastian Coe  United Kingdom
1975, 20 August Discus throw 70.20 m Faina Melnik  Soviet Union
1973, 6 July 110 m hurdles 13.1 Rod Milburn  United States
1969, 4 July 110 m hurdles 13.2 Willie Davenport  United States
1960, 21 June 100 m 10.0 Armin Hary  West Germany
1959, 7 July 200 m hurdles (bend) 22.5 (+1.2 m/s) Martin Lauer  West Germany
1959, 7 July 120 y hurdles 13.2 (+1.9 m/s) / 13.56 Martin Lauer  West Germany
110 m hurdles

Meeting Records

Men

Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Ref
100 m 9.76 (+1.4 m/s) Yohan Blake  Jamaica 30 August 2012 [6][7]
200 m 19.66 (+0.0 m/s) Usain Bolt  Jamaica 30 August 2012 [8][9]
400 m 43.29 Harry ("Butch") Reynolds  United States 17 August 1988
800 m 1:41.24 Wilson Kipketer  Denmark 13 August 1997
1000 m
1500 m 3:26.45 Hicham El Guerrouj  Morocco 12 August 1998
Mile 3:45.19 Noureddine Morceli  Algeria 16 August 1995
3000 m 7:32.54 Said Aouita  Morocco 13 August 1986
5000 m 12:41.86 Haile Gebreselassie  Ethiopia 13 August 1997
10000 m
110 m hurdles 12.92 (−0.1 m/s) Roger Kingdom  United States 16 August 1989
400 m hurdles 47.10 Samuel Matete  Zambia 7 August 1991
3000 m steeplechase 7:56.54 Saif Saeed Shaheen  Qatar 18 August 2006
High jump 2.40 m Charles Austin  United States 7 August 1991
Pole vault 5.95 m Igor Trandenkov  Russia 14 August 1996
Long jump 8.60 m (+1.5 m/s) Ivan Pedroso  Cuba 16 August 1995
Triple jump 17.79 m (−0.7 m/s) Jonathan Edwards  United Kingdom 14 August 1996
Shot put 22.42 m Randy Barnes  United States 17 August 1988
Discus throw 71.12 m Virgilijus Alekna  Lithuania 11 August 2000
Hammer throw
Javelin throw 92.28 m Raymond Hecht  Germany 14 August 1996
4x100 m relay 37.45 Trell Kimmons
Wallace Spearmon
Tyson Gay
Michael Rodgers		  United States 19 August 2010
4x400 m relay

Women

Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Ref Video
100 m 10.76 (+1.7 m/s) Evelyn Ashford  United States 22 August 1984
200 m 21.66 (−1.0 m/s) Merlene Ottey  Jamaica 15 August 1990
400 m 48.86 Jarmila Kratochvílová  Czechoslovakia 18 August 1982
800 m 1:54.01 Pamela Jelimo  Kenya 29 August 2008
1000 m
1500 m 3:52.47 Tatyana Kazankina  Soviet Union 13 August 1980
Mile
3000 m 8:22.34 Almaz Ayana  Ethiopia 3 September 2015 [10]
5000 m 14:30.10 Vivian Cheruiyot  Kenya 8 September 2011 [11]
10000 m
100 m hurdles 12.39 (−0.7 m/s) Gail Devers  United States 11 August 2000
400 m hurdles 52.84 Kim Batten  United States 12 August 1998
3000 m steeplechase 9:15.23 Habiba Ghribi  Tunisia 28 August 2014 [12]
High jump 2.04 m Blanka Vlašić  Croatia 7 September 2007
Pole vault 5.06 m Yelena Isinbayeva  Russia 28 August 2009
Long jump 7.39 m (+0.3 m/s) Heike Drechsler  East Germany 21 August 1985
Triple jump 15.03 m (0.0 m/s) Anna Biryukova  Russia 16 August 1995
Shot put 20.98 m [13] Valerie Adams  New Zealand 28 August 2013 [14]
Discus throw 70.20 m Faina Melnik  Soviet Union 20 August 1975
Hammer throw
Javelin throw 69.57 m Christina Obergföll  Germany 8 September 2011 [15]
4×100 m relay 41.60 Sherone Simpson
Natasha Morrison
Elaine Thompson
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce		  Jamaica 3 September 2015 [16]
4×400 m relay

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Head to Head: Mondo versus Mongo". http://www.runnersworld.com. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  2. ↑ "CONICA Track Systems - CONIPUR M". http://www.conica.com/en/sports-flooring/. Retrieved 2014-05-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  3. ↑ "Bolt to Compete on Zurich's New Track - IAAF Diamond League". http://www.iaaf.org/news. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  4. ↑ "High Hopes for Low Times for Bolt on New Zurich Surface As he Announces He Will Run Weltklasse". http://wwwinsidethegames.biz. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12. External link in |publisher= (help)
  5. ↑ "Weltklasse Zürich World Records" (PDF). www.diamondleague-zurich.com. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  6. ↑ "Men's 100m – Results". IAAF. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  7. ↑ "Men's 100m – Results". Diamond League – Zurich. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "Men's 200m – Results". IAAF. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  9. ↑ "Men's 200m – Results". Diamond League – Zurich. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  10. ↑ "3000m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  11. ↑ "5000m Women: Results" (PDF). Samsung Diamond League. Omega Timing. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "3000m Steeplechase Results". IAAF. 28 August 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  13. ↑ competition held at Zurich's main train station
  14. ↑ Phil Minshull (28 August 2013). "Valerie Adams produces 2013 best to win the Diamond Race - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  15. ↑ "Javelin Women: Results" (PDF). Samsung Diamond League. Omega Timing. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  16. ↑ "4×100m Relay Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.

External links

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