Kennedy cleared 4.87m to notch up her fourth Diamond League win of the season and her second in a row since she won the Olympic title in Paris.
It was also the third time in a row that Kennedy had won at Weltklasse Zurich, having claimed the Diamond League title at the Swiss meeting in 2022 and set a new personal best of 4.91 in the station last year.
"I am happy to win today. I wanted to come here and jump 4.95m. Unfortunately I didn't but I still love Zurich," she said.
Kennedy was one of three athletes to clear 4.82m as the field was steadily whittled down at every height.
Five athletes bowed out after failing to clear 4.67m, including Eliza McCartney and Katerina Stefanidi. Sandi Morris cleared 4.67m but was unable to go any higher, while Angelica Moser managed a solid 4.77m to reach fourth place in front of her home crowd.
That left the three Olympic medallists Kennedy, Katie Moon and Alysha Newman to attack 4.82m. Both Kennedy and Newman cleared at the second attempt, while Moon sailed over on her third jump.
Neither the Canadian nor the American could go any higher, but there was no stopping Kennedy, who took just one jump to clear 4.87m.
Having secured victory and failed once at 4.92m, the Australian set her sights on a new personal best and Oceanian record of 4.95m. That ultimately proved a step too far, but Kennedy will no doubt be hoping to attack the height once again at the Diamond League Final next week.
Alysha Newman's Podium Momentum Continues
Alysha Newman is keeping her pole vault podium momentum going. The Paris 2024 bronze medallist has stepped onto the podium yet again, this time at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League event in Zurich, Switzerland. The Canadian vaulted to 4.82m to claim silver, while Australian Nina Kennedy cleared 4.87m for gold, and American Katie Moon also cleared 4.82m, but with more attempts than Newman.
The event took place at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, Switzerland’s largest train station, offering a unique atmosphere for athletes and fans alike. And it seems like Newman has caught the podium train.
With Zurich serving as the final qualifier for the Diamond League Final in Brussels, this performance also secures Newman’s spot in the final. Only the top six athletes will compete in Brussels on September 14.
This success comes on the heels of another post-Olympic podium performance at the Golden Gala Diamond League event in Rome on August 30. In Rome, Newman vaulted to 4.73m to finish behind American Sandi Morris (4.83m) and Kennedy (4.83m).
Newman is the Canadian record holder in the women’s pole vault. Paris 2024 saw Newman take down her own former Canadian record of 4.82m, clearing 4.85m on route to her bronze. At Paris 2024, Newman shared the podium with Kennedy, who vaulted to 4.90m for gold, and Moon, who also cleared 4.85m, but with fewer missed attempts.
A Look Ahead to the Diamond League Final
With just one more meeting to go until the season finale, the entry lists for the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels are beginning to take shape.
A month on from the end of Paris 2024, a number of Olympic champions will be hoping to get their hands on another global title at next week’s Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels.
A number of Olympic champions have already qualified and confirmed their attendance at athletics’ biggest event outside a major championships.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen - who won gold in the men’s 5000m in Paris - will seek to defend his 1500m Diamond League title at the King Baudouin Stadium.
He will be joined on track by fellow 1500m star and multiple world-record breaker Faith Kipyegon, who hopes to claim her fifth Diamond Trophy in 2024.
There will be more world-record-calibre talent in the jumps as Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis and Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh aim to defend their titles in the pole vault and high jump respectively.
Mahuchikch made history with 2.10m at the Wanda Diamond League Paris in July, while Duplantis’ 6.26m in Silesia last month means he has now broken the world record three times this season: once at the Olympics and twice in the Diamond League.
After three Diamond League wins in a row since the Olympics, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo will head to Brussels with high hopes of claiming a first ever Diamond Trophy in the men’s 200m.
Tebogo will double as he has been granted a Global Wild Card by the Diamond League board for the 100m.
Other Olympic champions who have already booked their tickets to Brussels include Winfred Yavi and Soufiane El Bakkali in the men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase, Emmanuel Wanyonyi in the men’s 800m and Femke Bol in the women’s 400m hurdles.
In the field events, Olympic gold medallists include Ryan Crouser in the men’s shot put, Haruka Kitaguchi in the women’s javelin, Nina Kennedy in the women’s pole vault, Yemisi Ogunleye in the women’s shot put and Valarie Allman in the women’s discus.
400m hurdles Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will also compete at the Memorial Van Damme.
With two additional races outside of the Wanda Diamond League Final, the Brussels meeting wants to honour McLaughlin-Levrone, who produced a historic 400m hurdles world record at the Olympic Games in Paris. She will test her limits on 400m (Friday) and 200m (Saturday).
The 25-year-old did not qualify for the Wanda Diamond League Final in any discipline, and is ineligible to compete on a Global Wild Card as she has not made at least one appearance in the series this season.
The Wanda Diamond League is the premier one-day meeting series in athletics. It comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field. Athletes compete for points at the 14 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on 13th-14th September.
The Final Countdown: A Global Spectacle
The Diamond League Final in Brussels is set to be a thrilling climax to the season, with a host of Olympic champions and world-record holders ready to deliver an unforgettable spectacle. This event will be a defining moment for many athletes, as they vie for Diamond Trophies and a chance to etch their names in athletic history.
