<\/p>\n
Jan Kowalski, Meeting Director of BAUHAUS-galan, explains more about what to expect tomorrow evening. \u201cThere are still tickets to sell,\u201d Kowalski said. \u201cThere 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. \u201cWe 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. \u201cWe 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 \u2013 we think that is one of the key things to do to be more sustainable. We will continue the kids\u2019 tour to promote physical activities, which will help bring the next generation into athletics.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Since the stadium\u2019s 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 Sj\u00f6berg and Anders G\u00e4rderud. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Duplantis competes against Nilsen on home soil while Bol aims to continue fine form in Stockholm<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Duplantis looking forward to \u201cspecial\u201d home crowd <\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n One of the events to watch at tomorrow evening\u2019s BAUHAUS-galan will be the men\u2019s pole vault as the top two from last year\u2019s Tokyo Olympics, Mondo Duplantis and Chris Nilsen, face off. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Duplantis, 22, has already cleared 6.00m on two occasions this season \u2013 6.01m at Hengelo and 6.02m at the Bislett Games \u2013 and is excited to be competing in front of a home crowd again. \u201cIt\u2019s a really special feeling [to compete in Stockholm],\u201d said Duplantis. \u201cObviously we\u2019ve got the World Athletics Championships this year but it might be second most important event of the year for me. \u201cYou can have as many people as you want watching but when you\u2019ve got the family watching, that\u2019s a really fun thing. I\u2019ve got a special tie to the stadium and it\u2019s a place that you can jump really high. I have the capability to do good things and what happened in the past doesn\u2019t really matter, it\u2019s about what happens tomorrow. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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. \u201cI think for me most track and field athletes want to grow the popularity of the sport,\u201d Nilsen added. \u201cSo to see how many fans are passionate about Mondo [Duplantis] is great and that\u2019s cool to be a part of. I want to add to that experience.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Both Duplantis and Nilsen face an extremely strong pole vault field which also includes 2016 Olympic champion Thiago Braz, 2012 Olympic champion <\/span><\/span>Renaud Lavillenie and Olympic finalist and Asian pole vault record holder Ernest John Obiena. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Femke Bol complimentary of Sydney McLaughlin\u2019s world record <\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Femke Bol only ran faster over 400m hurdles in the Olympic final in Tokyo than she did at last year\u2019s BAUHAUS-galan. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n One of her biggest challengers at next month\u2019s 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. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Bol, 22, is the European 400m hurdles record holder with 52.03 and hasn\u2019t actually raced McLaughlin since Tokyo. Nonetheless, she has kept an eye out on the American\u2019s races. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was in bed,\u201d joked Bol. \u201cI couldn\u2019t watch it [McLaughlin\u2019s 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. \u201cI wasn\u2019t 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.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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 <\/span><\/span>Anna Ryzhykova, world 400m hurdles bronze medallist Rushell Clayton and current British 400m hurdles champion Jessie Knight. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n St\u00e5hl<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/b>and <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b>\u010ceh<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/b>looking for big throws in Stockholm <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n One of the most exciting events at tomorrow evening\u2019s BAUHAUS-galan is the men\u2019s discus, as the two biggest throwers in the world this year take centre stage in the Swedish capital. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Home favourite Daniel <\/span><\/span><\/span>St\u00e5hl<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, 29, is the current Olympic and world discus champion while <\/span><\/span><\/span>Kristjan \u010ceh, 23, finished fifth in last year\u2019s Olympic final. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n St\u00e5hl goes into tomorrow\u2019s Diamond League with the world lead of 71.47m but \u010ceh is not far behind with 71.27m. They are the only two guys who have thrown over 70.00m in 2022 and it\u2019s 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. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s my favourite arena in the whole world so I\u2019m hoping everyone will come,\u201d said <\/span><\/span><\/span>St\u00e5hl. \u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>I\u2019ll just go home, play some cards and get prepared at my parents. It\u2019s going to be fun.\u201cI\u2019m proud of [<\/span><\/span><\/span>Kristjan] \u010ceh<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>. He\u2019s a huge talent and I\u2019m very excited for him. It\u2019s always good for the younger athletes to grow and it keeps me motivated.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u010ceh, meanwhile, is excited to face St\u00e5hl in front of thousands of Swedish fans. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cIt\u2019s cool to have a big crowd at the stadium and it\u2019s a different kind of energy,\u201d the Slovenian added. \u201cIf 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. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s going to be hard as a lot of throwers are getting into shape and we\u2019re close to the world championships. I\u2019ll go to the world championships in Oregon and have fun and I feel well prepared.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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 <\/span><\/span><\/span>Alekna, son of Virgilijus, who has a season\u2019s best of 69.00m.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Chopra hoping for strong start to 2022 Diamond League season <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra opens his 2022 Diamond League season in Stockholm, having only competed twice in 2022. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n 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. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Just 15 days ago, Chopra beat his own Indian national javelin record with 89.30m. \u201cIn my country there are so many people so that\u2019s why everything changed,\u201d Chopra said. \u201cEveryone 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. \u201cAfter 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.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Jacobs back from injury and in confident mood <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n