Press release
Pichardo-Taylor main contenders of a dream triple jump event Star athletes Storl, Felix, Perkovic among confirmed athletes as well
Given the very high level of men's triple jump, one of the events to be held at Athletissima on July 9, this very technical event could well become one of the main events of this year's athletics season. Cuban vice-World champion Pedro Pablo Pichardo had a very strong start in the season, achieving an outstanding 17.94m in Havana. He confirmed his great shape in Doha a week later when he entered the very exclusive club of the "over 18 meters" by achieving 18.06m on his third attempt, becoming the 3rd best performer in history. Never before had any athlete jumped further that early in the season. It did not take long for reigning Olympic champion Christian Taylor to react as he nearly defeated the Cuban by achieving a mark just 2 cm shorter than him. Never in history had two athletes jumped beyond 18 meters in the same event. Both of them will be in the lineup of the 40th Athletissima edition in a dual which will put the Pontaise stadium on fire. The Cuban athlete won the event in 2013. The stadium record held by Frenchman Teddy Tamgho (17.91m in 2011) will be in danger.
The World and European champion David Storl will be the man to beat in the shot put. The German giant (1.99m for 115kg) dominated all his opponents last Friday in Qatar. He will be in Lausanne for the first time.
The slender American sprinter Allyson Felix achieved a similar feat and dominated the 200m on the first Diamond League event of the year. In Doha the Olympic champion and triple World champion clocked 21.98, less than 3 tenth of a second outside her record. It was the sixth sub 22 second race of her career, but she had never been that fast before June 30. This great 29 year old champion is the most decorated female athlete in the history of the Olympic Games with four gold (one in 2008, three in 2012) and two silver (2004 and 2008) medals.
Sandra Perkovic, who set a new stadium record with 68.96m meters in the discus throw two years ago, will be back and aim for a second victory. The Croatian has been dominating her event for several years and has already won everything: Olympic champion in 2012, World champion in 2013 and triple European champion (2010, 2012, 2014). In the high jump, the Spanish reigning European champion Ruth Beitia will face the World champion Blanka Vlasic. Neither of them has scored a victory in Lausanne yet.
Athletissima/Presse service
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