The Final Countdown | Zurich Diamond League Preview

Australia will be well represented at the final of the Wanda Diamond League in Zurich, with Nicola McDermott and Stewart McSweyn headlining a record eight Australians who will be looking to stamp their authority on the most significant annual meet on the athletics calendar.

The final is set to be held across two days on September 8-9, with winners of individual events rewarded with $30,000 (USD). You can catch all the action live of Fox Sports and Kayo:

Thursday September 9:
1:50am – Nicola McDermott/Eleanor Patterson (Women’s High Jump)

Friday September 10:
4:06am – Linden Hall (Women’s 1500m)
4:17am – Stewart McSweyn/Oliver Hoare (Men’s 1500m)
4:22am – Kelsey-Lee Barber (Women’s Javelin)
4:38am – Rohan Browning (Men’s 100m)
5:03am – Catriona Bisset (Women’s 800m)

Women’s High Jump – Nicola McDermott/Eleanor Patterson:

The first night of action in Zurich will feature the high-flying Australian duo of Nicola McDermott (Matt Horsnell) and Eleanor Patterson (Alex Stewart) who will challenge an Olympic-calibre field in the high jump.

The lineup of six features the top five finishers from this year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, including gold medallist Mariya Lasitskene and Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh – who along with McDermott have produced a series of enthralling battles throughout the season.

Entering the season with a 1.98m personal best, McDermott has soared to new heights in 2021 when raising the bar to 2.02m and demonstrating the capacity to clear 2.04m – a mark that see her have one hand on the Diamond League trophy.

The Olympic silver medallist recently became only the third Australian woman in history to win a Diamond League series meeting after Sally Pearson and Dani Stevens, defeating both Latiskene and Mahuchikh in Paris with a confidence boosting performance.

Patterson’s fifth placing at the Olympics is reflective of her ability to mix it with the world’s best, having jumped a seasonal best of 1.96m on multiple occasions. With her career best leap standing at 1.99m, a personal best would be a fitting reward to finish to Patterson’s season after overcoming significant setbacks earlier in the year.

Women’s 1500m – Linden Hall:

Linden Hall will tackle a slick field in the women’s 1500m which features Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and The Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan, who won gold and bronze respectively in this event at the Tokyo Games.

That duo will likely be in a class of their own but the drop off in personal bests after that leaves the door ajar for Hall to climb onto the podium at a Diamond League final – a prospect that appears a suitable close to the trailblazing season which saw her finish in sixth place at the Olympics and become the first Australian woman to break four-minutes.

Hall has proved to be a model of consistency throughout the season and has recently showed strong form in Diamond League meetings, with her experience racing on the international circuit only aiding her chances in the finale.

Men’s 1500m – Stewart McSweyn/Oliver Hoare:

Stewart McSweyn (Nic Bideau) and Oliver Hoare (Dathan Ritzenhein) will launch a two-pronged assault on the 1500m in Zurich as the pair look to repeat their Brussels feat where they finished in first and second place respectively.

McSweyn will be one of the major drawcards of the meet, with the front-running Australian establishing himself as one of the most entertaining runners on the international circuit. The Australian record holder is set for yet another showdown with Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot, with the trio regularly the first three men across the line at Diamond League meetings.

The 26-year-old is a near certainty to force a punishing pace and ask the question of his competitors on the night.

Hoare’s quality shone bright through his ability to navigate his way to the Olympic 1500m final on debut, with the US-based Australian no stranger to world-class fields after an exceptional start to his professional career.

His most recent second place finish at the Brussels Diamond League suggests he is showing no signs of a Tokyo hangover; the result serving as a timely confidence booster ahead of Zurich where he will once again gain invaluable experience as he builds towards rising through the world ranks.

Women’s Javelin – Kelsey-Lee Barber

It’s no secret that Olympic bronze medallist and reigning world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber (Mike Barber) relishes the big stage, with the high-stakes Diamond League final likely to bring out her best.

Barber claimed Olympic bronze last month when mustering her biggest throw of the season to date with 64.56m in the final round. The performance was consistent with her clutch 2019 IAAF World Championships heroics which saw her claim the world title.

Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk topped Barber by 5cm in Tokyo to claim the silver medal, with the Australian looking to even the ledger in Zurich as the two appear major contenders for the Diamond League crown.

Men’s 100m – Rohan Browning:

Just last week Rohan Browning (Andrew Murphy) made his Diamond League debut when running 10.14 in Brussels, but after a late change, his second career Diamond League appearance will be the final in Zurich.

Putting his European holiday on hold after securing a lane amongst some of the world’s fastest men, Browning is set for one last roll of the dice in his breakthrough season. Scalping South Africa’s Akani Simbine in his most recent encounter, the 23-year-old will be full of confidence ahead of tomorrow night’s opportunity.

The field features the USA trio of Trayvon Bromell (9.77), Fred Kerley (9.84) and Ronnie Baker (9.83), along with Tokyo bronze medallist Andre De Grasse (9.89). Browning rose to stardom with his 10.01 run to win his heat on Olympic debut, becoming the second fastest Australian in history and leaving him on the cusp of the 10-second barrier – one that he will once again attempt to shatter here.

Women’s 800m – Catriona Bisset:

Catriona Bisset (Peter Fortune) has deservedly been granted a spot amongst the world’s fastest women in the 800m, after a stunning season which saw her make her set a new national record of 1:58.09 before making her Olympic debut.

Whilst Bisset had greater hopes than a first round exit for her first Olympic appearance, the opportunity to atone for that in Zurich and demonstrate her true potential is a welcomed one.

The field is headed by Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson (1:55.88) but is tightly packed based on personal best times, looming as one of the most unpredictable contests of the meet on paper. Bisset has shown an eagerness to make her own luck out in front this season and is unlikely to be intimidated by the strong field – knowing she belongs in the upper echelon of global 800m running.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 8/9/2021