{"id":3616,"date":"2026-08-18T07:06:03","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lausanne.diamondleague.com\/audrey-werro-and-a-host-of-champions\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T07:06:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T07:06:03","slug":"audrey-werro-and-a-host-of-champions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lausanne.diamondleague.com\/en\/audrey-werro-and-a-host-of-champions\/","title":{"rendered":"Audrey Werro and a host of champions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Athletissima will bring together 9 reigning Olympic champions, 11 world champions and 14 European champions this Friday in Lausanne, as well as at the City Event on Thursday. The year\u2019s top performers will be competing across every discipline, chasing qualification places for the Diamond League Final. Spectators will also have the chance to see all of Switzerland\u2019s medallists from the European Championships. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The evening will reach a spectacular climax at 21:32, when Swiss star Audrey Werro, now firmly established on the international stage, takes to the track for a thrilling 800m, one week after her memorable race at the European Championships in Birmingham. She will once again face Femke Broeders-Bol, the bronze medallist in England, with Jarmila Kratochvilova\u2019s world record (1:53.28, set in 1983) inevitably somewhere in the back of her mind.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The men\u2019s 800m will feature the very best in the world, led by Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), Marco Arop (CAN) and Brandon Miller (USA). Two years ago in Lausanne, Wanyonyi came within two tenths of a second of David Rudisha\u2019s world record.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the sprints, the headline names over 200m will be Shericka Jackson (JAM), Amy Hunt (GBR) and Letsile Tebogo (BOT). The hurdles promise to be particularly competitive, with Ja\u2019Kobe Tharp (USA) and Jamal Britt (USA) in the 110m hurdles, Masai Russell (USA) and Alaysha Johnson (USA). in the 100m hurdles, and Emma Zapletalova (SVK) and Anna Cockrell (USA) in the 400m hurdles all set to challenge the clock.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tharp has held the world record of 12.75 since this spring and will be making one of his rare appearances in Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last-minute addition of Rai Benjamin to the 400m hurdles is another major highlight. In this additional event, the world champion will contest his one and only race of the season in his specialist discipline. This year, he has focused primarily on the flat 400m, including an impressive victory in London. Can he challenge Alison dos Santos\u2019 world-leading 46.48 in the 400m hurdles?
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ambitious Swiss athletes <\/strong>In the 5000m, no athlete has yet secured a place in the Brussels Final. A tremendous battle is looming, with five athletes on the start line who have run under 12:50 this season: Birhanu Balew (BRN), Graham Blanks (USA), Grant Fisher (USA), Parker Wolfe (USA) and Mathew Kipsang (KEN).

In the women\u2019s 3000m steeplechase, Winfred Yavi (BRN) will attempt to close in on the 2026 world-leading mark of 8:51.06, held by Peruth Chemutai.

Two outstanding field events are also in store. The men\u2019s triple jump will be led by Andy Diaz Hernandez. The Italian became the fourth-best performer in history in Birmingham with 18.15m and showed that Jonathan Edwards\u2019 world record of 18.29m could be within his reach. In the javelin, 2026 world No. 1 Rumesh Pathirage (SRI), the latest revelation from the subcontinent, will face strong pressure from Neeraj Chopra (IND), among others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


Switzerland\u2019s Birmingham medallists are certain to set the crowd alight. At least three of them have every chance of victory: Werro, of course, but also Angelica Moser in the pole vault, where she will face Olympic champion Nina Kennedy (AUS), among others, and Simon Ehammer in the long jump, up against world No. 1 Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE). Dominic Lobalu is also expected to be among the leading contenders in the 5000m. To round off the evening, Switzerland\u2019s women\u2019s 4x100m relay team, fresh from their historic European silver medal, will be aiming for victory \u2014 and a seriously fast time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


The meeting is sold out, but the men\u2019s pole vault at the City Event in Ouchy, on the lakeside, will be open to everyone on Thursday, with free admission. Armand Duplantis (SWE) will take aim at his meeting record of 6.15m and face Emmanouil Karalis (GRE), Sam Kendricks (USA) and a host of other champions. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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