Weltklasse Zürich

World Class Zurich is an athletics event which is held every year in August at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich. It belonged to 2009 the IAAF Golden League series, which was replaced later in Zurich held by the IAAF Diamond League, from the 2010 one of the final two events with 16 races.

World Class Zurich took place on August 12, 1928 for the first time. Until the 80th staging in 2008 were at the athletics meeting 26 world records and 250 national records, including 58 Swiss records set up. Followed in 2009, the 27th world record, the first in the new Letzigrund Stadium.

Organizer of the event is the association for major events of the Athletics Club Zurich ( VFG / LCZ ), which was founded by members of the LC Zurich.

History

1928: On August 12, 1928, the first " International " takes place on the Letzigrund 3000 spectators cheering the nine-time Olympic gold medalist Paavo Nurmi to win the 5000 -meter run in 15:18,3 minutes the first Swiss record, the. . Bieler Hans Schneider over 400 m hurdles in 56.4 seconds.

1949: The first world record in the Letzigrund retroactively annul. Reason: The bullet had scored with James Fox, a record distance of 17.96 meters, is found to be a little too easy. The 13,000 spectators not only see two Olympic and two world record holder, but also the game of football Young Fellows - FC Nürnberg.

1958: The first meeting in the new, designed for 23,000 spectators stadium Letzigrund with six circular orbits takes place in the pouring rain storm.

1959: For the first time the meeting on July 7, 1959 under the name "World Class Zurich " instead. 10,842 spectators, the 22 -year-old Cologne Martin Lauer on the first two world records in the history of the Zurich athletics meeting. In 13.2 seconds in the 110m hurdles first, two hours later he runs the 200m hurdles in 22.5 seconds, a further record.

1960: The German Armin Hary runs on 21 June 1960 as the first human to 100 meters in 10.0 seconds. Because the first run was canceled, the 23 -year-old German had to start again - and again ran 10.0 seconds. The first of today three Zurich world records on the prestigious 100 -meter track was fact.

1965: For the first time, women are at world-class Zurich with it. In the race over 80 meters hurdles, the 16 -year-old Meta Antenen equalized with 11.4 seconds the national record.

1968: The first meeting on the new tartan track. In Zurich, the first plastic car in Europe was built.

1969: The Lausanne Sprinter Philippe Clerc runs in 20.3 seconds a European record over 200 meters.

1974: The first meeting with electronic timing, and the first live television transmission by SF DRS.

1975: For the first time the mark of 20,000 spectators is exceeded: World Class Zurich takes place in front of a record crowd of 21,700 spectators.

1981: Two world records in one night. Renaldo Nehemiah breaks with 12.93 seconds over 110 meters hurdles a " sound barrier" and Sebastien Coe runs the mile in the new record time of 3:48,53 For the first time in the history of interrupts the BBC for the evening news and turns directly into the race from Coe.

1981: Union Bank (now UBS) enters as the main sponsor. The meeting recorded a new record number of audience ( 24 844 ).

1983: The budget of world-class Zurich for the first time exceeds one million francs.

1985: The Swiss Pierre Délèze creates the sensation and suggests more than 1500 m the big Sebastien Coe.

1988: Harry " Butch" Reynolds improvement of the 20 -year-old 400 - meter world record by a whopping 0.57 seconds to 43.29 Carl Lewis wins the 100-meter duel with Ben Johnson The 9.93 seconds is a. . year later upgraded to a world record after doping case Johnson.

1992 audience favorite Carl Lewis celebrates over 100 m in 10.07 seconds his sixth and final victory in Zurich.

1994: 5.3 liters of rain per square meter within one hour 20:40 to 21:40 clock care for torrential conditions in Letzigrund.

1995: For the first time in 14 years, there are two world records on the same evening. Kiptanui breaks through the first 8 -minute mark over 3000 meters Steeple, a little later Kiptanui loses its 5000 -meter world record of Haile Gebrselassie.

1997: A world- record box as never before: Wilson Kipketer ( 800 meters), Wilson Boit Kipketer (3000 meters Steeple ) and Haile Gebrselassie ( 5000 meters) run the world record number 21 to 23 In addition, ask Marcel Schelbert (400 meter hurdles ) and Anita Weyermann ( 3000 meters) Swiss records.

2000: After six years there is again a Swiss Winner: André Bucher wins the 800 - meter race.

2001: André Bucher returns the first Swiss world champion a term discipline in the Letzigrund and celebrates with a new Swiss record his second consecutive home win. It is to this day the last victory of a Swiss in the main program.

2006: The old Letzigrund Stadium witnessed his 24th and final world record - this time on the 100 - meter track: Asafa Powell equaled his record of 9.77 seconds. Immediately after the meeting, take the excavator.

2007: Just a year after the demolition of the old stadium will take place the opening of the Letzigrund stadium in the new Athletics Temple. The meeting was sold out within a few hours and will take place before a record crowd of 26,000 spectators.

2008: Usain Bolt, the triple world record holder of the Olympic Games in Beijing, denies his first race after the Olympics. Bolt celebrating a comfortable victory.

2009: Yelena Isinbayeva pole vaulter jumps in turn sold out Letzigrund stadium with 5.06 meters the 25th world record in the history of world-class Zurich. The Russian is so even superstar Usain Bolt, who already attracted for an autograph session on the day before the meeting 5000 fans in the Zurich train station, in the shade. The Swiss 4x100 - meter relay ( Mancini, Schneeberger, thighs, Cribari ) was pulverized in 38.78 seconds her own national record and the 14-time Paralympic champion Heinz Frei completed before the home crowd 's railway career in a 3000 -meter wheelchair race.

2010: It's the meeting of the Swiss women: hurdler Lisa Urech runs on the excellent fourth and long jumper Irene Pusterla jumps to third place. The 4x100 - meter relay can the audience at the end of the evening to inspire again. A Jahresweltbestleistung scored Jeremy Wariner over 400 meters.

World Records

Among the non-Olympic world records include several in the mile run, so by Sebastian Coe in 1981, by Mary Slaney in 1985 and Svetlana Masterkova 1996. Martin Lauer broke in 1959 not only the world record in the 110 meter hurdles, but also over 120 Yardes hurdles and the 200m hurdles with curve.