Weltklasse Zürich
Template:Short description Template:Infobox athletics race Weltklasse Zürich (Template:Langx) 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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and this is also planned for 2025<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and 2027.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since 2014, Christoph Joho and Andreas Hediger have led the organization as co-directors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
UBS has supported Weltklasse Zürich as its main sponsor since 1981.<ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> Other sponsors are Vaudoise Assurances, Migros, Le Gruyère Switzerland, Medica, Omega, Swiss, Lexus, Erdgas and Puma.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref name="Swissinfo">"Weltklasse: 1928-2003". Swissinfo. 14 August 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2021.</ref><ref name="NZN19280813">Template:Cite news</ref> Since 1935 it also became known as the "American Meeting",<ref name="NZZ19350805">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> similar to the Bislett Games, and this continued into the 1950s.<ref name="NZN19510730">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="NZZ19580718">Template:Cite news</ref> A notable hiatus occurred after the 1952 meeting<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> until the rebuilt Letzigrund Stadium opened in 1958,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> although a meeting had still been planned for August 1954.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The name "Weltklasse Zürich" was adopted in 1959.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The meet would not be held regularly on an annual basis until 1973, and the Weltklasse introduced electronic timing the following year.<ref name="Swissinfo"/>
During 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic prevented Weltklasse Zürich from taking place, instead an event called Inspiration Games was held.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Track surface
The first surface was made of dirt in 1928, and the first synthetic track surface in Europe was installed in 1968.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Swissinfo"/> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Swissinfo"/>
The current surface at the Letzigrund Stadium was developed in 2014 by the Swiss company CONICA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
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World records
Over the course of its history, numerous world records have been set at Weltklasse Zürich.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Meeting records
Men
Women
Notes
See also
References
External links
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- Template:Official website
- Diamond League – Zürich Official Web Site
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