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On the way to the record for eternity

On the way to the record for eternity

Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern on Tuesday, July 9 will offer the spectators absolute top class not only in the javelin, but also in the sprints in front of the main grandstand. If Alex Wilson wants to win over 100m or 200m, he will have to run a new Swiss record. And the best hurdle sprinters in the world will be meeting again this year on the Lucerne Allmend.

Around Alex Wilson the organizers of Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern have built up a strong sprint field. The fastest people from Asia (Zhenye Xie , China and Yoshihide Kiryu, Japan) against the fastest African (Akani Simbine, South Africa), the fastest Jamaicans (Yohan Blake and Tyquendo Tracey), European record holder Jimmy Vicault (France) and ultra-fast US-Americans (Devin Quinn and Kendal Williams) want to qualify for the final of the best eight in addition to Alex Wilson in a preliminary heat. This means that the spectators in the stadium will be able to enjoy two great sprints. Ex-world record holder Asafa Powell also deserves attention. He has run the 100m in under 10 seconds 98 times. In Lucerne it should be the 99th time. He wants to stay under the magic 10-second mark 100 times as quickly as possible. That would be a record for the ages, which the 37-year-old Jamaican is aiming for.

Fast hurdle races

The hurdle sprints also promise to be a treat. The Swiss World Championship sixth-placed Noemi Zbären makes her comeback in a top field after a long injury break. Led by Jamaican Janeek Brown, currently the world's fastest hurdler with 12.40 seconds, U20 world champion Tia Jones (USA), the fastest African Tobi Amusan (Nigeria), European vice-champion Pamela Dutkiewicz (Germany) and the up-and-comer of the year Payton Stumbaugh Chadwick (USA) will fight for victory in Lucerne. Unfortunately, due to a thigh injury, Lucerne regular and current world champion Sally Pearson (Australia) had to cancel her start yesterday.

In the men's event, the up-and-comer of the year and current world number two Daniel Roberts (USA) will start for the first time on the Lucerne 110m hurdles stage. He will be challenged by African champion Antonio Alkana (South Africa), European indoor champion Milan Trajkovic (Cyprus), the fastest Asian Wenjujn Xie (China) and the fastest South American Eduardo Santos Rodrigues (Brazil), among others. So here, too, a world-class field.

5. July 2019 / Stephan Zopfi

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