Weltklasse Zürich

Weltklasse Zürich (English: World Class Zurich) is an annual, invitation-only, world-class track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zürich, Switzerland, generally held at the end of August or beginning of September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it now serves as a final of the Wanda Diamond League, alongside Memorial Van Damme between 2010 and 2019. In 2021, Welklasse Zürich will serve as the sole final of the Diamond League.[2] One of the first large-scale international athletics events (outside the Summer Olympics), it is sometimes referred to as the one-day Olympics. Weltklasse Zürich first took place on 12 August 1928. In the beginning, the meeting was nicknamed by the public 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 became the first human to run the 100 m dash in 10.0 seconds.

Weltklasse Zürich
The host stadium – Letzigrund
DateAugust–September
LocationZürich, Switzerland
Event typeTrack and field
World Athletics Cat.Diamond League final (DF)[1]
Established1928
Official sitezurich.diamondleague.com
2023 Weltklasse Zürich
Logo

UBS has supported Weltklasse Zürich as its main sponsor since 1981.[3] Other sponsors are Vaudoise Assurances, Migros, Le Gruyère Switzerland, Medica, Omega, Swiss, Lexus, Erdgas and Puma.[4]

History

The meeting was conceived in 1924 by athletic section of the FC Zürich which became 1934 the Leichtathletik Club Zürich and first held at the Letzigrund on a dirt track on 12 August 1928 as the Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting in Zürich.[5][6] The meet would not be held regularly on an annual basis until 1973, and the Weltklasse introduced electronic timing the following year.[5]

Track surface

The first surface was made of dirt in 1928, and the first synthetic track surface in Europe was installed in 1968. The number of lanes was increased to eight in the early 1970s which forced the Weltklasse to be put on hold for a few years for the construction to take place.[5]

The current surface at the Letzigrund Stadium was developed in 2014 by the Swiss company CONICA.[7][8][9] The new surface was installed in June 2014 at a cost of 800,000 CHF and was paid for by the city of Zurich, which owns Letzigrund Stadium.[10]

World records

Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at Weltklasse Zürich.[11]

Year Event Record Athlete Nationality
2009 Pole vault 5.06 m Yelena Isinbayeva  Russia
2006 100 m 9.77 (+1.0 m/s) Asafa Powell  Jamaica
1997 800 m 1:41.24 Wilson Kipketer  Denmark
1997 3000 m steeplechase 7:59.08 Wilson Boit Kipketer  Kenya
1997 5000 m 12:41.86 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia
1996 Mile 4:12.56 Svetlana Masterkova  Russia
1995 5000 m 12:44.39 Haile Gebrselassie  Ethiopia
1995 3000 m steeplechase 7:59.18 Moses Kiptanui  Kenya
1992 3000 m steeplechase 8:02.08 Moses Kiptanui  Kenya
1991 4 × 100 m relay 37.67 Michael Marsh
Leroy Burrell
Dennis Mitchell
Carl Lewis		  United States
1989 110 m hurdles 12.92 (−0.1 m/s) Roger Kingdom  United States
1988 400 m 43.29 Harry ("Butch") Reynolds  United States
1985 Mile 4:16.71 Mary Slaney  United States
1984 100 m 10.76 (+1.7 m/s) Evelyn Ashford  United States
1981 Mile 3:48.53 Sebastian Coe  United Kingdom
1981 110 m hurdles 12.93 (−0.2 m/s) Renaldo Nehemiah  United States
1980 1500 m 3:52.47 Tatyana Kazankina  Soviet Union
1979 1500 m 3:32.1 Sebastian Coe  United Kingdom
1975 Discus throw 70.20 m Faina Melnik  Soviet Union
1973 110 m hurdles 13.1 Rod Milburn  United States
1969 110 m hurdles 13.2 Willie Davenport  United States
1960 100 m 10.0 Armin Hary  West Germany
1959 200 m hurdles (bend) 22.5 (+1.2 m/s) Martin Lauer  West Germany
1959 120 yd 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 [12][13]
200 m 19.52 (−0.6 m/s) Noah Lyles  United States 8 September 2022 [14]
400 m 43.29 Harry ("Butch") Reynolds  United States 17 August 1988
800 m 1:41.24 Wilson Kipketer  Denmark 13 August 1997
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 Gebrselassie  Ethiopia 13 August 1997
110 m hurdles 12.92 (−0.1 m/s) Roger Kingdom  United States 16 August 1989
400 m hurdles 46.92 Karsten Warholm  Norway 29 August 2019 [15]
3000 m steeplechase 7:56.54 Saif Saeed Shaheen  Qatar 18 August 2006
7:53.17 X Brahim Boulami  Morocco 16 August 2002
High jump 2.40 m Charles Austin  United States 7 August 1991
Pole vault 6.07 m Armand Duplantis  Sweden 8 September 2022 [16]
Long jump 8.65 m (-0.5 m/s) DLR Juan Miguel Echevarría  Cuba 29 August 2019 [17]
Triple jump 17.80 m (+0.1 m/s) Christian Taylor  United States 1 September 2016 [18]
Shot put 23.23 m DLR Joe Kovacs  United States 7 September 2022 [19]
Discus throw 71.12 m Virgilijus Alekna  Lithuania 11 August 2000
Hammer throw 83.24 m Andrey Abduvaliyev  Uzbekistan 17 August 1994
Javelin throw 92.28 m Raymond Hecht  Germany 14 August 1996
4×100 m relay 37.45 Trell Kimmons
Wallace Spearmon
Tyson Gay
Michael Rodgers		  United States 19 August 2010

Women
Event Record Athlete Nationality Date Ref Video
100 m 10.65 (+0.6 m/s) Elaine Thompson-Herah  Jamaica 9 September 2021 [20]
10.65 (−0.8 m/s) Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce  Jamaica 8 September 2022 [21]
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 2:32.70 Jolanta Januchta  Poland 19 August 1981
1500 m 3:52.47 Tatyana Kazankina  Soviet Union 13 August 1980
Mile 4:12.56 Svetlana Masterkova  Russia 14 August 1996
3000 m 8:22.34 Almaz Ayana  Ethiopia 3 September 2015 [22]
5000 m 14:30.10 Vivian Cheruiyot  Kenya 8 September 2011 [23]
100 m hurdles 12.29 (−0.3 m/s) Tobi Amusan  Nigeria 8 September 2022 [24]
400 m hurdles 52.80 Femke Bol  Netherlands 9 September 2021 [25]
3000 m steeplechase 8:55.29 Ruth Jebet  Bahrain 24 August 2017 [26]
High jump 2.05 m Mariya Lasitskene  ANA 8 September 2021 [27]
Pole vault 5.06 m (outdoor) Yelena Isinbayeva  Russia 28 August 2009
4.91 m (indoor) Nina Kennedy  Australia 30 August 2023 [28]
Long jump 7.39 m (+0.3 m/s) Heike Drechsler  East Germany 21 August 1985
Triple jump 15.48 m (0.3 m/s) Yulimar Rojas  Venezuela 9 September 2021 [29]
Shot put 20.98 m [30] Valerie Adams  New Zealand 28 August 2013 [31]
Discus throw 70.20 m Faina Melnik  Soviet Union 20 August 1975
Javelin throw 69.57 m Christina Obergföll  Germany 8 September 2011 [32]
4×100 m relay 41.60 Sherone Simpson
Natasha Morrison
Elaine Thompson
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce		  Jamaica 3 September 2015 [33]

See also

References
  1. "1.3. CATEGORIES OF COMPETITIONS". World Athletics. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  2. "Weltklasse Zürich to host IAAF Diamond League Finals in 2020 and 2021". Diamond League. Retrieved 2020-02-04.
  3. "Weltklasse Zürich". global. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
  4. "Sponsors - Diamond League - Zurich". zurich.diamondleague.com. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
  5. "Weltklasse: 1928-2003". Swissinfo. 14 August 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  6. wh. (13 August 1928). "Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting in Zürich auf dem Sportplatz Letzigrung" [International track and field meeting in Zürich at the sports ground Letzigrund]. Neue Zürcher Nachrichten (in Swiss High German). Zürich. 24 (219): 3. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  7. "CONICA Track Systems - CONIPUR M". conica.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  8. "Head to Head: Mondo versus Mongo". runnersworld.com. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  9. "Bolt to Compete on Zurich's New Track - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  10. "High Hopes for Low Times for Bolt on New Zurich Surface As he Announces He Will Run Weltklasse". insidethegames.biz. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  11. "Weltklasse Zürich World Records" (PDF). www.diamondleague-zurich.com. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
  12. "Men's 100m – Results". IAAF. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
  13. "Men's 100m – Results". Diamond League – Zurich. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
  14. Jess Whittington; Jon Mulkeen (8 September 2022). "Amusan and Lyles break meeting records en route to Diamond League wins in Zurich". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  15. Bob Ramsak (29 August 2019). "Warholm sizzles 46.92 in Zurich - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  16. Jess Whittington; Jon Mulkeen (8 September 2022). "Duplantis and Rojas retain Diamond League titles with dominant performances in Zurich". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  17. Bob Ramsak (29 August 2019). "Echevarria leaps world-leading 8.65m in Zurich - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  18. "Triple Jump Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  19. Jess Whittington (7 September 2022). "Kovacs throws 23.23m in superb shot put showdown on Sechselautenplatz". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  20. "100m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  21. Jess Whittington; Jon Mulkeen (8 September 2022). "Amusan and Lyles break meeting records en route to Diamond League wins in Zurich". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  22. "3000m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  23. "5000m Women: Results" (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  24. Jess Whittington; Jon Mulkeen (8 September 2022). "Amusan and Lyles break meeting records en route to Diamond League wins in Zurich". World Athletics. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  25. "400m Hurdles Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  26. "3000m Steeplechase Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  27. "High Jump Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  28. "Pole Vault Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  29. "Triple Jump Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  30. competition held at Zurich's main train station
  31. Phil Minshull (28 August 2013). "Valerie Adams produces 2013 best to win the Diamond Race - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  32. "Javelin Women: Results" (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 8 September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
  33. "4×100m Relay Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
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