Weltklasse Zürich

Weltklasse Zürich
The host stadium – Letzigrund
Date	August
Location	Zürich, Switzerland
Event type	Track and field
Established	1928
Official site	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. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League (which succeeded the Golden League in 2010). One of the first large-scale international athletics events (outside the Olympics), it is sometimes referred to as the one-day Olympics. Weltklasse Zürich first took place on August 12, 1928. In the beginning, the meeting was nicknamed by the public as 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 managed to run the 100 metres as the first human being in 10.0 seconds.

Track Surface Yields Fast Times

The most popular "rubber-like" track surface utilized at all modern Olympic and World Championship competitions (both indoors and outdoors) are those made by Italian company Mondo.^[1] However, a new surface at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich was developed in 2014 by Swiss company CONICA. The existing track will not be replaced but retopped on 12 June 2014 with CONICA's new surface, the triple-layer CONIPUR M.^[2] Tests conducted by the Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopaedics of the German Sport University Cologne have confirmed the benefits of the new system. “The new surface provides athletes with better stability of the big toes, ankles, and in particular of their knees,” said the professor who led the studies. “This effect results in a smaller loss of energy in these joints, and therefore in less oscillation of the body’s center of gravity. The new surface of the track therefore creates even better conditions for fast times.”^[3] The new surface will be installed in June 2014 at a cost of 800,000 Swiss francs (£535,000 pounds/$901,000 dollars/€655,000 euros) and will be paid by the City of Zurich, which owns Letzigrund Stadium.^[4]

World records

Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at Weltklasse Zürich.^[5]

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 x 100m 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 y 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	[6][7]
200 m	19.66 (+0.0 m/s)	Usain Bolt	Jamaica	30 August 2012	[8][9]
400 m	43.29	Harry ("Butch") Reynolds	United States	17 August 1988
800 m	1:41.24	Wilson Kipketer	Denmark	13 August 1997
1000 m
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 Gebreselassie	Ethiopia	13 August 1997
10000 m
110 m hurdles	12.92 (−0.1 m/s)	Roger Kingdom	United States	16 August 1989
400 m hurdles	47.10	Samuel Matete	Zambia	7 August 1991
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	5.95 m	Igor Trandenkov	Russia	14 August 1996
Long jump	8.60 m (+1.5 m/s)	Ivan Pedroso	Cuba	16 August 1995
Triple jump	17.80 m (+0.1 m/s)	Christian Taylor	United States	1 September 2016	[10]
Shot put	22.42 m	Randy Barnes	United States	17 August 1988
Discus throw	71.12 m	Virgilijus Alekna	Lithuania	11 August 2000
Hammer throw
Javelin throw	92.28 m	Raymond Hecht	Germany	14 August 1996
4x100 m relay	37.45	Trell Kimmons Wallace Spearmon Tyson Gay Michael Rodgers	United States	19 August 2010
4x400 m relay

Women

Event	Record	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Ref	Video
100 m	10.76 (+1.7 m/s)	Evelyn Ashford	United States	22 August 1984
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
1500 m	3:52.47	Tatyana Kazankina	Soviet Union	13 August 1980
Mile
3000 m	8:22.34	Almaz Ayana	Ethiopia	3 September 2015	[11]
5000 m	14:30.10	Vivian Cheruiyot	Kenya	8 September 2011	[12]
10000 m
100 m hurdles	12.39 (−0.7 m/s)	Gail Devers	United States	11 August 2000
400 m hurdles	52.84	Kim Batten	United States	12 August 1998
3000 m steeplechase	9:07.00	Ruth Jebet	Bahrain	1 September 2016	[13]
High jump	2.04 m	Blanka Vlašić	Croatia	7 September 2007
Pole vault	5.06 m	Yelena Isinbayeva	Russia	28 August 2009
Long jump	7.39 m (+0.3 m/s)	Heike Drechsler	East Germany	21 August 1985
Triple jump	15.03 m (0.0 m/s)	Anna Biryukova	Russia	16 August 1995
Shot put	20.98 m [14]	Valerie Adams	New Zealand	28 August 2013	[15]
Discus throw	70.20 m	Faina Melnik	Soviet Union	20 August 1975
Hammer throw
Javelin throw	69.57 m	Christina Obergföll	Germany	8 September 2011	[16]
4×100 m relay	41.60	Sherone Simpson Natasha Morrison Elaine Thompson Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce	Jamaica	3 September 2015	[17]
4×400 m relay

See also

• Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern

References

1. "Head to Head: Mondo versus Mongo". runnersworld.com. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
2. "CONICA Track Systems - CONIPUR M". conica.com. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
3. "Bolt to Compete on Zurich's New Track - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. 12 May 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
4. "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.
5. "Weltklasse Zürich World Records" (PDF). www.diamondleague-zurich.com. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
6. "Men's 100m – Results". IAAF. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
7. "Men's 100m – Results". Diamond League – Zurich. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
8. "Men's 200m – Results". IAAF. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
9. "Men's 200m – Results". Diamond League – Zurich. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
10. "Triple Jump Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
11. "3000m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
12. "5000m Women: Results" (PDF). Samsung Diamond League. Omega Timing. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
13. "3000m Steeplechase Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 1 September 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
14. competition held at Zurich's main train station
15. Phil Minshull (28 August 2013). "Valerie Adams produces 2013 best to win the Diamond Race - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
16. "Javelin Women: Results" (PDF). Samsung Diamond League. Omega Timing. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 September 2011.
17. "4×100m Relay Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.

External links

• Media related to Weltklasse Zürich at Wikimedia Commons
• Diamond League – Zurich official website