The first 16 IAAF Diamond League champions of 2019 will be crowned in Zurich

IAAF Diamond League action heads to Zurich’s Weltklasse meeting on Thursday as the first of the two finals takes place, with 16 champions to be crowned.

The annual Swiss test is set to become the sole venue for the final in 2020 and 2021 but for now it shares staging the showpieces with Brussels (on September 6).

READ MORE: Zurich to host single Diamond League final in 2020 and 2021

Dina Asher-Smith faces another world-class line-up in the 200m as the multiple European champion takes on Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the Bahamian athlete who won at the Diamond League in Birmingham this month, together with Olympic champion Elaine Thompson, Blessing Okagbare and Dafne Schippers.

There is big British interest in the men’s 100m, too, with Adam Gemili and Zharnel Hughes due to take on Noah Lyles, Yohan Blake, Justin Gatlin and others.

A couple of Britons also go in the women’s 1500m. Eilish McColgan and Jemma Reekie take to the Swiss track in a line-up that is
headed by world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba, Konstanze Klosterhalfen and Jenny Simpson.

British 5000m champion McColgan will be hoping to attack the four-minute barrier with Reekie also in fine form lately after her European under-23 double victory and runner-up result from the British Championships behind Sarah McDonald.

Another British 5000m champion, Andy Butchart, goes in his specialist event against Selemon Barega, Joshua Cheptegei, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha.

It is perhaps the strongest 5000m line-up of 2019 and Butchart will be aiming to crack the 13-minute barrier for the first time.

Laviai Nielsen, the British 400m champion, is in a tough one-lap field that includes Salwa Eid Naser – the Bahrain athlete who has run 49.17 this year.

The 400m hurdles promises a great clash, too, with world record-holder Dalilah Muhammad up against fellow American Sydney McLaughlin.

A tasty clash looks likely in the men’s long jump with Miguel Echevarria facing Luvo Manyonga, Thomas Montler, Ruswahl Samaai, Zarck Visser and Miltiadis Tentoglou.

In the men’s high jump Mutaz Essa Barshim is entered, while Yulimar Rojas leads the women’s triple jump field.

There is a great field in the men’s pole vault, meanwhile, with Sam Kendricks, Piotr Lisek, Renaud Lavillenie and Mondo Duplantis.

The men’s javelin sees Birmingham Diamond League winner Cheng Chao-tsun up against Germans Thomas Röhler, Andreas Hofmann and Johannes Vetter plus Estonian Magnus Kirt.

In the women’s shot put, Lijiao Gong faces Christina Schwanitz among others.

The men’s 800m features Kenyans Wycliffe Kinyamal, Ferguson Rotich and Emmanuel Korir, plus Nijel Amos of Botswana.

Beatrice Chepkoech, the world record-holder, leads the women’s steeplechase entries but world champion Emma Coburn is among her rivals.

Finally, Karsten Warholm, Kyron McMaster and Rai Benjamin are set for a cracking 400m hurdles clash in the last major event on the programme.

The action got under way the evening before the full programme, with the women’s pole vault competition taking place at Zurich’s main train station.

Anzhelika Sidorova won with first time clearance of 4.87m to break the meeting record and set an indoor personal best.

British record-holder Holly Bradshaw finished fifth with 4.72.

Entry lists can be found here.

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