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Jan Kowalski, Meeting Director of BAUHAUS-galan, explains more about what to expect tomorrow evening. “There are still tickets to sell,” Kowalski said. “There are roughly 10,000 people so far in the stadium for tomorrow and I think it will create a good atmosphere which will deliver for the athletes out there. “We are trying to continue to build our meeting to be one of the best on the Diamond League tour. We want athletes to feel they are coming home when they come to Stockholm. “We are co-operating with other meetings and from 2024, we will go closer with Oslo. We will have only three days in between and have a Scandinavia week – we think that is one of the key things to do to be more sustainable. We will continue the kids’ tour to promote physical activities, which will help bring the next generation into athletics.”
Since the stadium’s inception 110 years ago, 83 world records have been recorded. To mark the occasion, there will be a Walk of Fame where previous world record holders will walk outside the stadium, such as Patrik Sjöberg and Anders Gärderud.
Duplantis competes against Nilsen on home soil while Bol aims to continue fine form in Stockholm
As the Wanda Diamond League returns to Stockholm for the 13th consecutive year, the current Olympic gold and silver pole vault medallists and the second fastest female 400m hurdler of 2022 kick off the press conference.
Duplantis looking forward to “special” home crowd
One of the events to watch at tomorrow evening’s BAUHAUS-galan will be the men’s pole vault as the top two from last year’s Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis and Chris Nilsen, face off.
Duplantis, 22, has already cleared 6.00m on two occasions this season – 6.01m at Hengelo and 6.02m at the Bislett Games – and is excited to be competing in front of a home crowd again. “It’s a really special feeling [to compete in Stockholm],” said Duplantis. “Obviously we’ve got the World Athletics Championships this year but it might be second most important event of the year for me. “You can have as many people as you want watching but when you’ve got the family watching, that’s a really fun thing. I’ve got a special tie to the stadium and it’s a place that you can jump really high. I have the capability to do good things and what happened in the past doesn’t really matter, it’s about what happens tomorrow.
Duplantis is unbeaten in 14 meetings indoors and outdoors in 2022 but his main challenge could come from Nilsen, 24, who holds the US pole vault indoor record of 6.02m and has cleared 6.00m outdoors himself this year. “I think for me most track and field athletes want to grow the popularity of the sport,” Nilsen added. “So to see how many fans are passionate about Mondo [Duplantis] is great and that’s cool to be a part of. I want to add to that experience.”
Both Duplantis and Nilsen face an extremely strong pole vault field which also includes 2016 Olympic champion Thiago Braz, 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie and Olympic finalist and Asian pole vault record holder Ernest John Obiena.
Femke Bol complimentary of Sydney McLaughlin’s world record
Femke Bol only ran faster over 400m hurdles in the Olympic final in Tokyo than she did at last year’s BAUHAUS-galan.
Her time of 52.37, a European record at that time, in Stockholm was one of the highlights of the event and ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, Bol is focused on putting down a marker once again in Sweden.
One of her biggest challengers at next month’s World Athletics Championships will be Sydney McLaughlin, who is the reigning Olympic champion in the event and just recently broke her own 400m hurdles world record at the USATF Championships (June 25) with 51.41.
Bol, 22, is the European 400m hurdles record holder with 52.03 and hasn’t actually raced McLaughlin since Tokyo. Nonetheless, she has kept an eye out on the American’s races.
“I was in bed,” joked Bol. “I couldn’t watch it [McLaughlin’s world record] live but it was an amazing race. She already had the world record, is a great athlete but I just focus on myself and I want to do that again in Stockholm. “I wasn’t really surprised [by the world record] because of course in Nashville (June 5) she ran 51.61 but you never know the conditions in Eugene. Sydney is in a great shape though.”
Bol went under 53 seconds for the first time over 400m hurdles this year at the Bislett Games, when she clocked 52.61, and will aim to do so again at BAUHAUS-galan tomorrow evening. She faces a talented field which includes 2012 Olympic 4x400m bronze medallist Anna Ryzhykova, world 400m hurdles bronze medallist Rushell Clayton and current British 400m hurdles champion Jessie Knight.
Ståhl and Čeh looking for big throws in Stockholm
One of the most exciting events at tomorrow evening’s BAUHAUS-galan is the men’s discus, as the two biggest throwers in the world this year take centre stage in the Swedish capital.
Home favourite Daniel Ståhl, 29, is the current Olympic and world discus champion while Kristjan Čeh, 23, finished fifth in last year’s Olympic final.
Ståhl goes into tomorrow’s Diamond League with the world lead of 71.47m but Čeh is not far behind with 71.27m. They are the only two guys who have thrown over 70.00m in 2022 and it’s actually the first time that to guys have cleared the 70.00m mark in a single season since Gerd Kanter and Virgilijus Alekna in 2008. “It’s my favourite arena in the whole world so I’m hoping everyone will come,” said Ståhl. “I’ll just go home, play some cards and get prepared at my parents. It’s going to be fun.“I’m proud of [Kristjan] Čeh. He’s a huge talent and I’m very excited for him. It’s always good for the younger athletes to grow and it keeps me motivated.”
Čeh, meanwhile, is excited to face Ståhl in front of thousands of Swedish fans. “It’s cool to have a big crowd at the stadium and it’s a different kind of energy,” the Slovenian added. “If only one person threw over 68.00m or 69.00m then the competition would be boring. I focus on myself first and sometimes I will see what others do.
“It’s going to be hard as a lot of throwers are getting into shape and we’re close to the world championships. I’ll go to the world championships in Oregon and have fun and I feel well prepared.”
The discus pair will have to be at their best against an incredibly strong field with every single athlete competing having thrown over 67.00m at some point in their career. The biggest competition may come from world u20 discus champion Mykolas Alekna, son of Virgilijus, who has a season’s best of 69.00m.
Chopra hoping for strong start to 2022 Diamond League season
Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra opens his 2022 Diamond League season in Stockholm, having only competed twice in 2022.
Chopra, 24, will face both world leader Anderson Peters, who threw 93.07m at the opening Diamond League in Doha, and Olympic silver medallist from Tokyo, Jakub Vadlejch.
Just 15 days ago, Chopra beat his own Indian national javelin record with 89.30m. “In my country there are so many people so that’s why everything changed,” Chopra said. “Everyone celebrated my gold medal and when I came back to India after the Olympics there were thousands of people at the airport. So many children then started up athletics. I feel very proud when I saw people try my event. “After the Olympics I started training in December so it was a bit later and it was about getting fit again. My main target is the World Championship this year.
Jacobs back from injury and in confident mood
Olympic 100m and 4x100m champion Marcell Lamont Jacobs returns from an injury sustained in mid-May as he looks to lay down a marker ahead of the World Athletics Championships.
Jacobs, 27, won world 60m indoor gold in Belgrade back in March but the injury halted the Italian’s progress in his tracks.
“I was really anxious to come back to the track after a long time and I’m super focused on the world championship which is the main goal of the season but this is an important step,” Jacobs said.
“The medal is important as nobody can steal it! I’d like to run fast but of course the medal is the most important goal. The injury came in the crucial part of the season but it’s very important to compete as much as possible to get that competition feeling back ahead of Eugene.”
He’ll face current European 100m silver medallist Reece Prescod and Commonwealth 100m champion Akani Simbine in a much anticipated 100m at tomorrow evening’s Stockholm Diamond League.
Sagnia to battle Mihambo in long jump
One of the highest quality events of the entire meet is the women’s long jump.
Swedish home favourite and European Indoor bronze medallist Khaddi Sagnia faces an elite field which includes reigning Olympic, world and European long jump champion Malaika Mihambo, current Olympic and world long jump bronze medallist Ese Brume and double world indoor long jump bronze medallist Lorraine Ugen.
“I just want to be in the moment and not feel about the competition,” Sagnia, 28, said. “I just need to feel the feeling that I have in training. It’s going to be so much fun in front of a home crowd, show them what I can do and enjoy myself.”
Mihambo, 28, has stated that she’s used meditation to help her ahead of next month’s World Athletics Championships. “I have to make a good competition for myself where I stay focused and perform well,” the German said.
“That includes getting the right steps, having a good approach and technique and then also a solid landing. That’s what I’m focusing on and for sure, I always want to have fun and enjoy the crowd that we’ve all missed.”