Weltklasse Zürich () is an annual, invitation-only, world-class track and field meeting at the Letzigrund in Zürich, Switzerland, generally held at the end of August or beginning of September. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it now serves as a final of the Wanda Diamond League, alongside Memorial Van Damme between 2010 and 2019. In 2021 and 2022, Weltklasse Zürich served as the sole final of the Diamond League, and this is also planned for 2025 and 2027. So far, 27 world records have been set at Weltklasse Zürich. In 1988, Carl Lewis won the 100-meter duel against Ben Johnson. The time of 9.93 seconds was upgraded to a world record a year later, following Johnson's doping case.
One of the first large-scale international athletics events (outside the Summer Olympics), it is sometimes referred to as the one-day Olympics. With a budget of about ten million Swiss francs, Weltklasse Zürich ranks among the most expensive events in athletics. Every year, it draws around 25,000 fans to Letzigrund Stadium, with competitions broadcast in up to 135 countries. Since 2014, Christoph Joho and Andreas Hediger have led the organization as co-directors.
Weltklasse Zürich first took place on 12 August 1928. In the beginning, the meeting was nicknamed by the public 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 became the first human to run the 100 m dash in 10.0 seconds.
UBS has supported Weltklasse Zürich as its main sponsor since 1981. Other sponsors are Vaudoise Assurances, Migros, Le Gruyère Switzerland, Medica, Omega, Swiss, Lexus, Erdgas and Puma.
History
The meeting was conceived in 1924 by the athletic section of the FC Zürich which became the Leichtathletik Club Zürich in 1934, and was first held at the Letzigrund on a dirt track on 12 August 1928 as the Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting in Zürich."Weltklasse: 1928-2003". Swissinfo. 14 August 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2021. Since 1935 it also became known as the "American Meeting", similar to the Bislett Games, and this continued into the 1950s. A notable hiatus occurred after the 1952 meeting until the rebuilt Letzigrund Stadium opened in 1958, although a meeting had still been planned for August 1954. The name "Weltklasse Zürich" was adopted in 1959. The meet would not be held regularly on an annual basis until 1973, and the Weltklasse introduced electronic timing the following year.
During 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Weltklasse Zürich from taking place, instead an event called Inspiration Games was held.
Track surface The first surface was made of dirt in 1928, and the first synthetic track surface in Europe was installed in 1968. The number of lanes was increased to eight in the early 1970s which forced the Weltklasse to be put on hold for two years for the construction to take place.
The current surface at the Letzigrund Stadium was developed in 2014 by the Swiss company CONICA. The new surface was installed in June 2014 at a cost of 800,000 CHF and was paid for by the city of Zurich, which owns Letzigrund Stadium.
Editions Some of the earliest editions were bilateral matches that are not counted among the 29 "Internationales" and Weltklasse meetings organized from 1928 til 1977.
+ Weltklasse Zürich editions Meeting Series Date 1928 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 12 Aug 1928 1929 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 13 Aug 1929 1932 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 3 Sep 1932 1934 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 12 Aug 1934 1935 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 8 Aug 1935 1937 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 29 Aug 1937 1939 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 13 Aug 1939 1946 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 18 Jul 1946 1947 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 5 July 1947 1948 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 21 Aug 1948 1949 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 21 Aug 1949 1951 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 19 Jun 1951 28 Jul 1951 1952 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 12 Aug 1952 1958 Internationales Leichtathletik-Meeting 1 Jul 1958 17 Jul 1958 1959 Weltklasse Zürich 7 Jul 1959 1960 Weltklasse Zürich 21 Jun 1960 1961 Weltklasse Zürich 27 Jun 1961 1962 Weltklasse Zürich 10 Jul 1962 1963 Weltklasse Zürich 2 Jul 1963 1964 Weltklasse Zürich 23 Jun 1964 1965 Weltklasse Zürich 29 Jun 1965 1966 Weltklasse Zürich 30 Jun 1966 1967 Weltklasse Zürich 4 Jul 1967 1968 Weltklasse Zürich 2 Jul 1968 1969 Weltklasse Zürich 4 Jul 1969 1970 Weltklasse Zürich 3 Jul 1970 1973 Weltklasse Zürich 6 Jul 1973 1974 Weltklasse Zürich 16 Aug 1974 1975 Weltklasse Zürich 20 Aug 1975 1976 Weltklasse Zürich 18 Aug 1976 1977 Weltklasse Zürich 24 Aug 1977 1978 Weltklasse Zürich 16 Aug 1978 1979 Weltklasse Zürich 15 Aug 1979 1980 Weltklasse Zürich 13 Aug 1980 1981 Weltklasse Zürich 19 Aug 1981 1982 Weltklasse Zürich 18 Aug 1982 1983 Weltklasse Zürich 24 Aug 1983 1984 Weltklasse Zürich 22 Aug 1984 1985 Weltklasse Zürich 1985 IAAF Grand Prix 21 Aug 1985 1986 Weltklasse Zürich 1986 IAAF Grand Prix 13 Aug 1986 1987 Weltklasse Zürich 1987 IAAF Grand Prix 19 Aug 1987 1988 Weltklasse Zürich 1988 IAAF Grand Prix 17 Aug 1988 1989 Weltklasse Zürich 1989 IAAF Grand Prix 16 Aug 1989 1990 Weltklasse Zürich 1990 IAAF Grand Prix 15 Aug 1990 1991 Weltklasse Zürich 1991 IAAF Grand Prix 7 Aug 1991 1992 Weltklasse Zürich 1992 IAAF Grand Prix 19 Aug 1992 1993 Weltklasse Zürich 1993 IAAF Grand Prix 4 Aug 1993 1994 Weltklasse Zürich 1994 IAAF Grand Prix 17 Aug 1994 1995 Weltklasse Zürich 1995 IAAF Grand Prix 16 Aug 1995 1996 Weltklasse Zürich 1996 IAAF Grand Prix 14 Aug 1996 1997 Weltklasse Zürich 1997 IAAF Grand Prix 13 Aug 1997 1998 Weltklasse Zürich 1998 IAAF Golden League 12 Aug 1998 1999 Weltklasse Zürich 1999 IAAF Golden League 11 Aug 1999 2000 Weltklasse Zürich 2000 IAAF Golden League 11 Aug 2000 2001 Weltklasse Zürich 2001 IAAF Golden League 17 Aug 2001 2002 Weltklasse Zürich 2002 IAAF Golden League 16 Aug 2002 2003 Weltklasse Zürich 2003 IAAF Golden League 15 Aug 2003 2004 Weltklasse Zürich 2004 IAAF Golden League 6 Aug 2004 2005 Weltklasse Zürich 2005 IAAF Golden League 19 Aug 2005 2006 Weltklasse Zürich 2006 IAAF Golden League 18 Aug 2006 2007 Weltklasse Zürich 2007 IAAF Golden League 7 Sep 2007 2008 Weltklasse Zürich 2008 IAAF Golden League 29 Aug 2008 2009 Weltklasse Zürich 2009 IAAF Golden League 28 Aug 2009 2010 Weltklasse Zürich 2010 Diamond League 18–19 Aug 2010 2011 Weltklasse Zürich 2011 Diamond League 7–8 Sep 2011 2012 Weltklasse Zürich 2012 Diamond League 29–30 Aug 2012 2013 Weltklasse Zürich 2013 Diamond League 28–29 Aug 2013 2014 Weltklasse Zürich 2014 Diamond League 28 Aug 2014 2015 Weltklasse Zürich 2015 Diamond League 2–3 Sep 2015 2016 Weltklasse Zürich 2016 Diamond League 31 Aug, 1 Sep 2016 2017 Weltklasse Zürich 2017 Diamond League 23–24 Aug 2017 2018 Weltklasse Zürich 2018 Diamond League 29–30 Aug 2018 2019 Weltklasse Zürich 2019 Diamond League 28–29 Aug 2019 2020 Inspiration Games 2020 Diamond League 9 Jul 2020 2021 Weltklasse Zürich 2021 Diamond League 8–9 Sep 2021 2022 Weltklasse Zürich 2022 Diamond League 7–8 Sep 2022 2023 Weltklasse Zürich 2023 Diamond League 30–31 Aug 2023 2024 Weltklasse Zürich 2024 Diamond League 4–5 Sep 2024 2025 Weltklasse Zürich 2025 Diamond League 27–28 Aug 2025 2026 Weltklasse Zürich 2026 Diamond League 26–27 Aug 2026
World records Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at Weltklasse Zürich. +World records set at the Weltklasse ZürichYearEventRecordAthleteNationality195922.5 13.2 / 13.56196010.0 196913.2 197313.1 1975Discus throw70.20 m19793:32.1 19803:52.4719813:48.5312.93 198410.76 19854:16.71198843.29198912.92 199137.67Leroy BurrellDennis MitchellCarl Lewis19928:02.08199512:44.397:59.1819964:12.5619971:41.247:59.08 12:41.8620069.77 2009Pole vault5.06 m2026400 m hurdles45.80100 m hurdles12.09
Meeting records Men
+Men's meeting records of the Weltklasse Zürich EventRecordAthleteNationalityDateMeet100 m9.76 Yohan Blake30 August 20122012200 m19.52 Noah Lyles8 September 20222022400 m43.29Harry ("Butch") Reynolds17 August 19881988800 m1:41.24Wilson Kipketer13 August 199719971500 m3:26.45Hicham El Guerrouj12 August 19981998Mile3:45.19Noureddine Morceli16 August 199519953000 m7:27.43Parker Wolfe27 August 202620265000 m12:41.86Haile Gebrselassie13 August 19971997110 m hurdles12.92 Roger Kingdom16 August 1989198912.92 Cordell Tinch28 August 20252025400 m hurdles45.80 Alison dos Santos27 August 202620263000 m steeplechase7:56.54Saif Saeed Shaheen18 August 200620067:53.17 Brahim Boulami16 August 20022002High jump2.40 mCharles Austin7 August 19911991Pole vault6.25 m (outdoor)Armand Duplantis27 August 202620265.92 m (indoor)Shawnacy Barber2 September 20152015Long jump8.65 m Juan Miguel Echevarría29 August 20192019Triple jump17.80 m Christian Taylor1 September 20162016Shot put23.23 m (outdoor) Joe Kovacs7 September 2022202222.03 m (indoor)Ryan Whiting28 August 20132013Discus throw71.12 mVirgilijus Alekna11 August 20002000Hammer throw83.24 mAndrey Abduvaliyev17 August 19941994Javelin throw94.42 m (old design)Uwe Hohn21 August 1985198592.28 m (current design)Raymond Hecht14 August 199619964 × 100 m relay37.45 Trell KimmonsWallace SpearmonTyson GayMichael Rodgers19 August 20102010
Women
+Women's meeting records of the Weltklasse Zürich EventRecordAthleteNationalityDateMeetVideo100 m10.65 Elaine Thompson-Herah9 September 2021202110.65 Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce8 September 20222022200 m21.66 Merlene Ottey15 August 19901990400 m48.70Salwa Eid Naser28 August 20252025800 m1:53.70 Audrey Werro27 August 202620261000 m2:32.70Jolanta Januchta19 August 198119811500 m3:52.47Tatyana Kazankina13 August 19801980Mile4:12.56Svetlana Masterkova14 August 199619963000 m8:22.34Almaz Ayana3 September 201520155000 m14:09.52Beatrice Chebet5 September 20242024100 m hurdles12.09 Masai Russell27 August 20262026400 m hurdles52.13Anna Cockrell27 August 202620263000 m steeplechase8:55.29Ruth Jebet24 August 20172017High jump2.05 mMariya Lasitskene8 September 20212021Pole vault5.06 m (outdoor) Yelena Isinbayeva28 August 200920094.91 m (indoor)Nina Kennedy30 August 20232023Long jump7.39 m Heike Drechsler21 August 19851985Triple jump15.48 m Yulimar Rojas9 September 20212021Shot put20.31 m (outdoor)Lijiao Gong29 August 2019201920.98 m (indoor)Valerie Adams28 August 20132013Discus throw70.20 mFaina Melnik20 August 19751975Javelin throw70.40 m (old design)Petra Felke13 August 1986198669.57 m (current design)Christina Obergföll8 September 201120114 × 100 m relay41.60Sherone SimpsonNatasha MorrisonElaine ThompsonShelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce3 September 20152015
Notes
See also Athletissima Spitzen Leichtathletik Luzern
References
External links
Diamond League – Zürich Official Web Site