Fraser-Pryce

Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern will unite the top athletes of the world with the Swiss athletics elite on Thursday, 20 July. Highlights are the men's 3000m race, the women's 100m sprint and the women's 400m hurdles race. 

On Thursday, 20 July, the Swiss athletics elite will be competing against the world's best athletes on the Allmend in Lucerne. At Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern, spectators will also see future world stars on the verge of their breakthrough. An absolute highlight will be the women's 100m sprint: Swiss record-holder Mujinga Kambundji (PB: 10.89 s) will meet Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The race is a revanche of the 2022 World Championships final from Oregon, which the Jamaican won. Fraser-Pryce, known for her colourful hair, is the most successful sprinter in the world. She won 3 Olympic gold medals and is a ten-time world champion. With a PB of 10.60 s she is the third fastest woman in history. 

The women's 400m hurdles race features a world-class field led by American Dalilah Muhammad. The two-time Olympic champion will face Janieve Russell (JAM), Andrenette Knight (JAM), Carolina Krafzik (GER) and Anna Cockrell (USA). Switzerland is represented by Yasmin Giger (SUI). In addition, Annina Fahr from Schaffhausen is set to make her competitive comeback in the 400 m hurdles just a few weeks after her fall. 

In the 800m, multiple Swiss champion Lore Hoffmann (PB: 1:58.50) will compete with the numbers 1 and 2 of this year's Kenyan championships: 19-year-old talent Peninah Muthoni Mutisya (PB: 1:59.55) and Vivian Chebet Kiprotich (1:58.80). 

Historic race over 3000 m expected 

In the men's race a historic competition over 3000 m is announced. Dominic Lobalu will be at the start in this race. The 24-year-old athlete from LC Brühl has made a name for himself in recent years with sensational times in the middle and long distances. With his best time of 7:29.48 over 3000 m, he would beat the stadium record in Lucerne by more than 12 seconds. The refugee, who lives in St. Gallen, is currently banned from the World Championships and the Olympic Games because he does not want to compete for his country of origin, South Sudan. Currently, his application is pending with the world federation to be allowed to run for the Swiss federation at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest on the basis of an exemption permit. In Lucerne, Lobalu will face a strong field including Julien Wanders from Geneva and Henrik Ingebrigtsen (NOR), the former European 1500m champion. 

A duel of shooting stars is on offer in the men's 100m sprint on Thursday. With 22-year-old Pjai Austin (USA), the fourth fastest man of 2023 (9.89 s) will face the newly crowned Jamaican champion Rohan Watson (PB: 9.91 s). The 21-year-old is considered one of the world's greatest sprint talents. Also competing is the Japanese bronze medallist at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, Abdul Hakim Sani Brown (PB: 9.97 s). 

Technical disciplines with top-class line-ups 

The javelin throw is traditionally of great importance in Lucerne. This year, competitions at a very high level are to be expected. In the women's javelin, 2016 Olympic champion Sara Kolak (CRO) will compete against the current No. 1 Haruka Kitaguchi (JAP), No. 2 Sigrid Borge (NOR) and No. 7 Tori Peeters (NZL). In a strong international pole vault competition, Switzerland's Angelica Moser (4.66 m) will face, among others, the No. 5 of the current world ranking list, New Zealand's Eliza McCartney (PB: 4.94 m) and Canada's Alysha Newman (PB: 4.82 m). 

In the men's high jump, there are six athletes who have already jumped over the height of 2.30m. In this top-class field, the holder of the Swiss record Loïc Gasch (PB: 2.33 m) will meet two former world champions: Ukraine's Bohdan Bondarenko (PB: 2.42 m) and Donald Thomas (PB: 2.37 m) from the Bahamas. In the long jump, Jamaica's 2019 world champion Tajay Gayle (PB: 8.69m) will face America's 2017 world silver medallist Jarrion Lawson (PB: 8.58m). In the discus throw, the 2016 Rio Olympic champion Christoph Harting (GER) will face Martynas Alekna (LTU), the elder son of the discus legend with two Olympic titles, Virgilijus Alekna. 

Image: Erik van Leeuwen (bron: Wikipedia). - www.erki.nl