Usain Bolt 19.58 meeting record in Lausanne (© Gladys Chai van der Laage)
With just four months to go until Athletissima takes place, organisers have announced that two of the world’s biggest athletics stars will be competing at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on 9 July.
Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt will compete in the 200m. The man with six Olympic titles and eight world titles will be back in Lausanne to compete in what is his favourite event at the Pontaise stadium “because it has one of the best curves in the world”.
It will be Bolt’s fourth appearance in the 200m in Lausanne. He won in 2008 and 2009 and set the stadium record of 19.58 in 2012.
Renaud Lavillenie's domination in the pole vault is ongoing and each competition brings with it a brilliant victory. With his triumph at the European Indoor Championships last weekend, Lavillenie extended his unbeaten run in 2014, having cleared the six-metre barrier five times.
The Olympic champion has won in Lausanne four times, his best performance of 5.87m being just four centimetres short of the stadium record set by USA’s Brad Walker eight years ago.
Switzerland’s top three athletes have also confirmed their attendance.
European champion Kariem Hussein will compete in the 400m hurdles. Last year he finished seventh in 49.38 before going on to win the European title in Zurich and then reduce his PB to 48.47 at the IAAF Continental Cup.
Sprinter Mujinga Kambundji will contest the 200m in Lausanne. Last year she finished sixth in the 100m before going on to set national records in both sprint events at the European Championships. She continued her record-breaking form at last weekend’s European Indoor Championships, setting a national record of 7.11 in the 60m.
European indoor champion Selina Buchel is expected to take part in the 800m in Lausanne, although that event’s addition to the programme is yet to be confirmed.
Organisers for the IAAF
2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 15 May
Shanghai, CHN – 17 May
Eugene, USA – 30 May
Rome, ITA – 4 June
Birmingham, GBR – 7 June
Oslo, NOR – 11 June
New York, USA – 13 June
Paris, FRA – 4 July
Lausanne, SUI – 9 July
Monaco, MON – 17 July
London, GBR – 24-25 July
Stockholm, SWE – 30 July
Zurich, SUI – 3 September
Brussels, BEL – 11 September
