Men's pole vault at Zurich Main Railway Station, 2015 IAAF Diamond League final (© Jean-Pierre Durand)
Once again, the pole vault will take pride of place at the Weltklasse Zürich meeting, the first of the two IAAF Diamond League finals in 2016, on Thursday 1 September.
The final competition of this year's Diamond Race in the men's pole vault should feature an exciting duel between France’s Olympic champion and world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie and Canada’s world champion Shawn Barber.
One or the other may also have returned from Rio just a few weeks before having been crowned the 2016 Olympic champion.
Last year, it was the 22-year-old Canadian who claimed the victory at Weltklasse Zürich when the event was held at the Zurich Main Station.
Barber then started off 2016 by becoming the youngest six-metre jumper of all time when he cleared that height indoors.
Lavillenie, who is aiming to win the Diamond Race for an unprecedented seventh consecutive year, will be looking for revenge as the men’s event moves to the Letzigrund Stadium as part of the main programme.
Also in the field will be USA’s Sam Kendricks, the current world leader with 5.92m.
This year, it’s the women who will show off their skills in front of a close and intimate audience in the Zurich Main Station on Wednesday 31 August.
Swiss record-holder Nicole Buchler is currently up there with the best pole vaulters of the world, having improved her record to 4.78m at the opening IAAF Diamond League meeting of the year in Doha last month, and will get plenty of support on home soil.
Buchler has made it on to the podium at three IAAF Diamond League meetings so far this season and a win from her would certainly set the tone for the main Weltklasse meeting the following day.
Also in the field is her compatriot and European U20 champion Angelica Moser.
Among their opponents will be world leader Ekaterini Stefanidi, who set a Greek outdoor record of 4.86m earlier this month, and Brazil’s 2011 world champion Fabiana Murer.
Organisers for the IAAF
2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar
6 May – Doha, QAT
14 May – Shanghai, CHN
22 May – Rabat, MAR
28 May – Eugene, USA
2 Jun – Rome, ITA
5 Jun – Birmingham, GBR
9 Jun – Oslo, NOR
16 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
15 Jul – Monaco, MON
22-23 Jul – London, GBR
25 Aug – Lausanne, SUI
27 Aug – Paris, FRA
1 Sep – Zurich, SUI
9 Sep – Brussels, BEL
