Top five USA players to watch in Zurich Diamond League 2024

Published at :September 5, 2024 at 1:15 PM

Modified at :September 5, 2024 at 10:01 PM

Plenty of USA’s Olympic medallist will be in fray in Zurich Diamond League 2024.

Just 11 days after Silesia, the athletes are gearing up for Zurich’s prestigious Weltklasse meeting on September 5. This is the final leg of the Diamond League 2024 calendar before the grand final in Brussels on September 13 and 14. The event has attracted several gold medallists from the Paris Olympics who will be looking to accumulate crucial points for the finale.

Team USA which dominated the track and field events in Paris Olympics 2024 with a record 34 medals will be looking to extend their winning streak.

Here are five standout American athletes to watch closely at the Zurich Diamond League 2024:

1. Sha’Carri Richardson (Event – women’s 100m race)

As Sha’Carri Richardson lines up in Zurich, the world’s attention will be drawn to one of the fastest women on the planet. Richardson, who triumphed in Zurich last year and took home the Olympic 4x100m gold will face a competitive challenge in the 100m event on September 5th which will bring together an elite field featuring Olympic gold medallist Julien Alfred and Europe’s top sprinters — Dina Asher-Smith and Mujinga Kambundji.

Julien Alfred delivered a stunning performance outpacing Richardson to win the 100m gold in Paris and followed it up with a silver in women’s 200m event. Sha’Carri Richardson and Julien Alfred will face each other for the first time since their encounter in the Olympic women’s 100m final.

2. Fred Kerley (Event – Men’s 100m race)

Fred Kerley is set to give his all in Zurich and add a Weltklasse Zürich victory to his collection. Having earned Olympic silver in 2021 and bronze in 2024 along with being the 2022 world champion in the 100m, Kerley is known for his powerful starts and relentless drive down the track.

Despite recent celebrations at home, the American sprinter is focused on making a significant impact in Zurich. His will be competing against Letsile Tebogo, the new 200m Olympic champion from Botswana and Kenneth Bednarek in what promises to be a highly competitive race.

Katie Moon (Event – women’s pole vault)

Katie Moon is set to make a significant impact at Letzigrund Stadium bringing her impressive track record to Zurich. The American pole vaulter, who won gold at Tokyo 2020 in the event and recently secured silver at the Paris 2024 Games, has established herself as a leading force in the event. She also won the gold at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and the 2022 World Championships in Eugene and is the 2023 Diamond League Champion.

She will be joined by a distinguished group of Olympic champions including Katerina Stefanidi and Nina Kennedy, who will be aiming for a third win at Zurich. Other top athletes like Canada’s Olympic bronze medallist Alysha Newman and European champion Angelica Moser, who placed fourth in Paris will also be competing alongside Katie Moon.

Masai Russell (Event – women’s 100m hurdles)

Masai Russell, the American hurdler who claimed gold at 2024 Paris Olympics in the women’s 100m Hurdles, is a standout competitor with a personal best of 12.25 seconds achieved in Eugene earlier this year. Despite not making the Olympic final in previous years, Russell’s exceptional showing in Paris has cemented her status as a premier athlete and at Letzigrund Stadium, she will face a formidable lineup including Swiss star Ditaji Kambundji, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Cyréne Samba-Mayela and Kendra Harrison.

Sam Kendricks (Event – men’s pole vault)

Sam Kendricks will be a key contender in a highly competitive pole vault field led by Mondo Duplantis. As the silver medallist from the Paris Olympics 2024, Kendricks is set to challenge Mondo Duplantis, who is unbeaten in 17 consecutive pole vault competitions, since his fourth-place finish in Monaco last July.

Joining Kendricks and Duplantis in the Weltklasse Zürich field are the American vaulter Chris Nilsen, who claimed an unexpected victory in Monte Carlo and the emerging Greek talent Emmanouil Karalis – Paris bronze medallist.

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