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| Athletissima | |
|---|---|
| Name | Athletissima |
| Date | June |
| Location | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Type | Track and field meeting |
| Established | 1977 |
Athletissima is an annual international track and field meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland, attracting elite athletes from across the globe. The meeting is part of major international athletics circuits and has hosted numerous Olympic, World Championship, and Diamond League competitors. Over decades it has featured record-setting performances by sprinters, jumpers, throwers, and middle-distance runners who also appear at events such as the Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships.
The meeting was founded in 1977 and grew alongside events like the European Athletics Championships, IAAF Golden League, and later the Diamond League. Early editions featured athletes from United States Olympic Committee teams, Soviet Union delegations, and squads from Great Britain and France. In the 1980s and 1990s Athletissima hosted stars who also competed at the FIFA World Cup era rivals for attention such as competitors from East Germany and West Germany, and champions from Kenya Athletics and Ethiopian Athletics Federation. As international track circuits reorganized, Athletissima aligned with organizers from World Athletics to secure top-tier status, coordinating calendars with the European Athletics Association and national federations including Swiss Athletics. Prominent meetings such as the Prefontaine Classic, Bislett Games, Herculis, and Memorial Van Damme share historical ties and athlete rosters with Athletissima, while global events like the Summer Olympics and World Championships in Athletics often see reciprocal participation.
Athletissima programs sprints, hurdles, middle-distance, long-distance, jumps, and throws similar to the IAAF World Indoor Championships and the Commonwealth Games athletics schedules. Sprint events include the 100 metres and 200 metres contested by athletes from Jamaica Olympic Association, USA Track & Field, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Hurdles draw competitors who have medaled at the European Indoor Championships and Pan American Games. Middle-distance and distance races often feature Olympians from Kenya and Ethiopia who also run at the Diamond League Final and London Marathon athletes who cross over to track. Field events have included pole vault, long jump, triple jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin, and hammer throw, with champions who have set marks at the World Athletics Indoor Championships and European Championships in Athletics. Para-athletics exhibitions have sometimes partnered with organizations such as the International Paralympic Committee.
Athletissima has seen performances comparable to world records set at meets like the Bislett Games and Oregon Track Club events, featuring athletes who have held world titles from the World Athletics Championships and Olympic gold from the Summer Olympics. Notable competitors include sprinters, jumpers, and throwers who also appear on lists alongside Usain Bolt, Carl Lewis, Allyson Felix, Mo Farah, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, David Rudisha, Hicham El Guerrouj, Eliud Kipchoge, Kenenisa Bekele, Genzebe Dibaba, Sifan Hassan, Florence Griffith Joyner, Jesse Owens, and Paavo Nurmi. Field event highlights have featured athletes comparable to Sergey Bubka, Yelena Isinbayeva, Renaud Lavillenie, Mutaz Essa Barshim, Gianmarco Tamberi, Christian Taylor, Ryan Crouser, Tomasz Majewski, Anita Włodarczyk, and Valeriy Brumel. Performances at Athletissima frequently factor into seasonal world rankings administered by World Athletics and into qualification pathways for championships overseen by federations like European Athletics and national Olympic committees such as the Swiss Olympic Association.
The meeting is staged in Lausanne, home to the International Olympic Committee headquarters and institutions such as the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the Olympic Museum. Venues have included stadiums maintained by local authorities and clubs affiliated with Swiss Athletics, with logistics coordinated alongside municipal bodies like the City of Lausanne and regional transport providers. Organizers collaborate with national federations such as Swiss Athletics Federation and international bodies like World Athletics to ensure compliance with technical rules used in events like the World Athletics Continental Tour. Event management draws on expertise from major organizers who also run meets such as the Golden Gala, Meeting de Paris, Prefontaine Classic, and Athletix promoters, while medical and anti-doping protocols reference standards from the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Testing Agency.
Sponsors historically include multinational brands that partner with athletics meetings worldwide, similar to sponsorship models of the Diamond League and IAAF events, with commercial relationships to corporations based in Switzerland and beyond. Media coverage has come from broadcasters including networks that cover athletics like European Broadcasting Union, international sports channels, and digital platforms that stream athletics content alongside coverage of events such as the Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships. Press accreditation often includes outlets associated with agencies like Agence France-Presse, Reuters, Associated Press, and national broadcasters including BBC Sport, NBC Sports, IOC Media, and Swiss media houses.
The meeting draws spectators from the Lausanne region, neighboring cantons, and international visitors who also attend cultural institutions such as the Olympic Museum and events in cities like Geneva, Zurich, Bern, and Basel. Athletissima contributes to the city’s sporting calendar alongside festivals and conferences that attract delegations linked to the International Olympic Committee, International Association of Athletics Federations, and sports tourism promoted by national bodies like Switzerland Tourism. The event has served as a stage for athletes preparing for major championships such as the Summer Olympics, World Athletics Championships, and continental competitions like the European Athletics Championships, reinforcing Lausanne’s profile as a hub of international sport and administration.
Category:Athletics competitions in Switzerland