At noon on Friday a Diamond League train with 80 athletes left Oslo with destination Stockholm. Among others a bunch of great discus throwers including World leader Fedrick Dacres (68.88), 2012 Olympic champion Robert Harting and reigning World champion and four time Diamond Race winner Piotr Malachowski.
But not 2016 Olympic champion Christoph Harting and last years World leader Daniel Ståhl. Christoph went home to Germany for a competition in Dessau but will be back in Stockholm in time for the Diamond League meet on Sunday.
Swedish star Daniel Ståhl, who has thrown beyond 68 meters four times this season including the 68.06 win last night in Oslo, left Bislett stadium by car immediately after the meet and arrived to his home in Stockholm at 5.30 am in order to fit in two training sessions on Friday. He will be more than ready to throw far at Stockholm Olympic Stadium on Sunday.
In the foot step of legend Ricky Bruch
Ståhl was the World leader in 2016 with 68.72 and is a better thrower this year. He is consistent on a higher level and he know what he wants to accomplish at BAUHAUS-galan.
– My goal is 70 meters on Sunday. I have the power and if I find the timing it could definately happen. A goal is also to throw further than 68.40 which was Ricky Bruchs’ World record set in Stockholm in 1972, says Daniel.
Bruch (1946-2011) is the number one Swedish discus thrower of all time and is the national record holder since 50 years. His best result is 71.26 from 1984 which make him equal number nine on the all-time-list.
When it comes to competition Ståhl couldn’t ask for anything better when lining up at in front of his home crowd on Sunday at 15.20!
Manyonga – the man to beat
The Stadium record in long jump is 8.59 by four time outdoor World champion Ivan Pedroso set in 1997. But after almost 20 years it looks like it could really be broken since South Africas Luvo Manyonga has jumped further in his last four meets. His World best is 8.65 which is the longest jump in the World for eight years.
Local star Michel Tornéus, who set a Swedish record of 8.44 last year, believe the South African could jump even further.
– Manyonga is the one who will beat Mike Powell's World record, says Tornéus.
Among Manyonga’s competitors is countryman Rushwal Samaii, 8.49 this year, Australias Fabrice Lapierre with three World championships medals to his belt, and Michel Tornéus who has jumped 8.10 this year.
A World record attempt in high jump?
The womens high jump field include reigning World champion Mariya Lasitskene (formerly Kuchina) who’s in the shape of her life. In Eugene two weeks ago she cleared a World best of 2.03 and then went on with 2.04 in Roma the following week. That meet included three attempts at the World record height 2.10 and in two of them Kuchina showed that the record is in danger this summer.
The field also include European indoor champion Airine Palsyte, Olympic silver medallist Mirela Demireva and 2014 World indoor champion Kamila Licwinko. The Swedish trio Sofie Skoog, Erika Kinsey and junior heptathlete Bianca Salming (daughter to ice hockey legend Börje Salming) is also among the participants.
Second straight win for Silva?
On board on the train from Oslo to Stockholm was also Cuban pole vaulter Yarisley Silva who won in the Norwegian capital with a season best of 4.81. She is the reigning World champion from Beijing and will face Olympic bronze medallist Eliza McCartney and local star Angelica Bengtsson among others.
Bengtsson was fourth in the World championships two years ago and took a bronze medal at the European championships last year as well as indoors this year.
Eight hours of athletics action
Stockholm Olympic Stadium will be full of athletics on Sunday 18 June since no less than eight yours of action will take place. It starts at 10 with the youth meet, continues with the pre meet which also includes some international participants and then the opening ceremony of the Diamond League meet 15.00.
Jonas Hedman
16 June, 2017
