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The eleventh leg of the IAAF Diamond League arrives in Stockholm tomorrow evening after a five-week hiatus, as the DN Galan meeting welcomes the world’s finest athletes to the Swedish capital’s 1912 Olympic stadium.
Ahead of their participation in the venue which holds the world record for the arena with the most world records at 83, no less than 18 newly crowned continental champions will compete, and five of the best jump specialists from around the globe spoke to the world’s media this morning.
World indoor pole vault record holder, Renaud Lavillenie is in Stockholm fresh from his third consecutive European outdoor Championships victory in Zurich last week, and the 27-year-old Frenchman is in confident mood:
“5.80m for the gold (in Zurich) was very impressive for me, it was a good competition so I’m very happy,” he explained, “I showed I was in good shape and I want to get back at a high level for the next couple of weeks.”
On his late entry in the continental championship final, Lavillenie continued:
“During the season, I started at 5.60m and I started at 5.76m in Zurich. I don’t get nervous when I start higher, it’s more the weather conditions which make me nervous.
“This summer was very complicated with the wind. When I tried 6.01m in Zurich, I had taken a three-week break to focus on training, I was confident but the wind wasn’t good – I just need to be patient.”
The Olympic and world indoor champion revealed that he would start tomorrow’s competition at either 5.60m or 5.70m depending on the weather.
Unbeaten in his 12 competitions this summer and with a 5.92m season’s best, Lavillenie said:
“I have no problem motivating myself as I have a lot of goals – this year, they were to win Paris and the Euro’s in Zurich, and I want to go over six meters again. I love jumping so it’s no problem to stay motivated.”
Sweden’s 20-year-old Melker Svärd Jakobsson also spoke to the media and the 2011 world youth silver medallist has been in fine form following his 5.60m lifetime best in May:
“This is my first IAAF Diamond League – I feel good and I’m excited for tomorrow,” Svärd Jakobsson explained.
“I had a lot of trouble with my run-up in Zurich (where he failed to qualify for the final) so it was very hard to jump.
“My goal this year is to jump 5.70m so I hope it comes soon. We jump differently but I hope to learn a lot from Lavillenie.”
A trio of female long jumpers also attended the traditional pre-event press conference, with American duo, Tianna Bartoletta and Brittney Reese in addition to local girl, Erica Jarder in attendance.
2005 world champion, Bartoletta has an impressive 7.02m season’s best and has notched up IAAF Diamond League victories in Oslo and Glasgow this season.
The 28-year-old 2006 world indoor champion revealed:
“We’ve had a long stretch without competition so I want to get back into competition mode and I’m expecting it to be a very good competition, it’s the first of many for me on this trip.
“It’s really special to have a break in between competitions and it was nice to go back home, see my family and get in the weights room to build up the strength I lost from travelling around the circuit. It’s like pressing the restart button and I’ve come back stronger in this second half of the season.”
The 2012 4x100m Olympic champion also has a swift 11.18 100m clocking to her name this summer and she continued:
“I’m blessed to be back on the circuit, we will all step onto the runway tomorrow night and try to win – my focus is just on myself and trying to execute my plan as best I can.
“Now, I’m training with Darya Klishina (Russia’s European indoor champion), having changed coach after my last coach moved to the UK. It’s been a tough transition but I take great pride and ownership in my training now.”
Reese, meanwhile, explained the reasons behind her change in technique in 2014:
“I’ve been working on a new approach so I’m more consistent in the run-up and on the board, that’s my main goal, not to foul so much.
“I felt I wasn’t where I needed to be on the runway, I’m the queen of fouling so in a non-championships year, I’ve experimented – so far, it’s been good.
“Now, I do a four-step walk-in ahead of the run-up and now I limit my dip at take-off on the board.”
The 27-year-old Olympic champion, three-time world outdoor champion and two-time world indoor champion has a 6.92m season’s best and said of her visit to Sweden:
“I’m grateful to be here despite the weather but that doesn’t bother me. The crowd’s always great here and I’ll look to use their help tomorrow.”
Stockholm-born Jarder has this year collected European indoor bronze and a 6.67m personal best, and the 28-year-old world finalist spoke of her love of her home city:
“The Stockholm stadium is by far my favourite track and the crowd is always supportive so it’s my favourite competition,” she explained.
“I didn’t get exactly what I wanted out of Zurich, it was very hard but looking back, I’m kind of proud of myself and I’m looking forward to showing what I can do tomorrow.
Nicola Bamford for the organisers of the DN Galan meeting, Stockholm.