Sweden's Kim Amb wins the Javelin at the 2013 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne (© Gladys Chai)
Moscow-bound Kim Amb of Sweden will face a trio of top Finnish javelin throwers at Stockholm’s DN Galan, the first IAAF Diamond League meeting after the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
Amb had a brilliant season so far with a victory at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting and a personal best throw of 84.33m set earlier in the year in Dessau.
His appearance in front of a home crowd in Stockholm on 22 August will be a taster for the classic Sweden vs Finland match, which will also be held in Stockholm just two weeks later.
The 23-year-old has found consistency at the 80-metre level, throwing 82.65m to win in Lausanne against the likes of double Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen and Olympic bronze medallist Antti Ruuskanen. It was a confidence-boosting performance ahead of the World Championships, where he aims to once again take a few notable scalps.
“It’s great that DN Galan have added the Javelin as an extra event,” said Amb, who competes for Balta IK, a club located in the north of Stockholm. “It’s always cool to compete in front of a home crowd at the Stockholm Stadium and we Swedes will do everything to beat the Finns.”
Amb will be joined in Stockholm by team-mate Gabriel Wallin, who has also been in PB form this year with a best of 83.23m. They will face a trio of tough Finnish opponents, comprising European bronze medallist Ari Mannio, World and Olympic finalist Teemu Wirkkala and Sampo Lehtola, who recently finished fourth at the World University Games.
While the men’s Javelin doesn’t have Diamond League status at the 2013 DN Galan, several other throwing events do, including the men’s Discus, women’s Shot Put and women’s Javelin.
Many of the world’s elite athletes will compete at this year’s DN Galan and as the event approaches, more top names will be announced, including numerous medallists from the IAAF World Championships in Moscow.
Organisers for the IAAF
IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 10 May
Shanghai, CHN – 18 May
New York, USA – 25 May
Eugene, USA – 1 Jun
Rome, ITA – 6 Jun
Oslo, NOR – 13 Jun
Birmingham, GBR – 30 Jun
Lausanne, SUI – 4 Jul
Paris, FRA – 6 Jul
Monaco, MON – 19 Jul
London, GBR – 26-27 Jul
Stockholm, SWE – 22 Aug
Zürich, SUI – 29 Aug
Brussels, BEL – 6 Sep
