Zurich Wednesday Street Meet Live Thread (Women's 5k at 11:35 am eastern, men 1:10 pm on peacock)

Thank you for blessing the rest of us with this valuable thread.

Would have been an interesting idea for a one off meet or even a regular Diamond League event but I feel like the organisers tried to get too clever and it bit them on the bum with superstars like Ingebritsen deciding not to bother with the novelty track.

The vertical jumps always seem to work well in this setting like an outstanding duel between Kendricks and Duplantis last year in a city centre pole vault and today’s woman’s high jump with all 3 Olympic medal winners hitting a very impressive standard.

Flo'da boy wrote:

All of the best jumps in history had the jumper landing on their feet.

Did they? This is the landing on Powell's WR jump. Looks like his arse to me.

Flo'da boy wrote:

This women's high jump is really great

Indeed. Highlight of the day. Lasitskene struggled all year then somehow turned back the clock and raised her level in the two biggest events...clearing 2.04 in Tokyo and 2.05 today. Both wins on height and not count back.

It's just a matter of time before Mahuchikh seizes control of that event. Her best jumps have terrific clearance but she still has trouble stringing them together.

jabouko wrote:

End of great 5000m career for Obiri. Excellent results since she transitioned up from a successful 1500m career. Now I suspect she will run 64low and sub 2:20 on the roads

Respect to her. I've never been an Obiri fan doe to a couple of comments she made. about other competitors. But in retrospect no big deal. Her interviews are more likable recently. I also appreciated that she showed up to race against Niyonsaba so many times recently, despite the obvious. She also greets and congratulates Niyonsaba.

The end of the track career enables that type of approach, in contrast to where Hassan is.

Couple questions about the field events:

1) Is women's high jump the best competition? All 3 women are amazing in their own ways, and I felt Lisetskene's screech across the Atlantic when she cleared 2.05

2) how far could Bjornsson (game of thrones The Mountain) chuck the put?

3) why not just cancel the men's long jump if it is this weak? Why isn't Ja'vaugn harrison competing in the diamond league? This event is embarrassing to watch lately

Runner10287 wrote:

This circus act of a track makes no sense.

From coaches I know that have been at the Weltklasse, it is something that I have had on my bucket list, to be in a packed stadium of people who know athletics, cheering for the right reasons, understanding the tactics etc, and great athletics, would make a great part of a European trip.

But I wouldn't go see this crap circus act if it was in my neighbourhood.

Taking the Weltklasse 'to' the people makes no sense when you have no problem attracting 60,000 afficianados.

Whose idea was it to have the odd lap distance, the bumpy track with steep banks...ok, that's maybe forgiveable, but who decided to confuse the athletes and viewers with a finish gantry 25m past an obscure finish line.

There is a reason why tracks are 400m