08.07.2010

Aussie world champions look to Lausanne

World champions Steve Hooker (pole vault) and Dani Samuels (discus throw) return to the IAAF Diamond League arena tonight as the two stars of international track and field join nine fellow world champions, eight Olympic champions and six world indoor champions in Round 7 of the 14-meet series in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Joining the world title-holders in action at the Swiss edition of the all-new tour will be Beijing Olympian and national javelin champion Jarrod Bannister on his Diamond League debut.

Following a confidence-boosting win at Germany’s European championships trials in Wattenscheid (GER) last month, Hooker will be hoping form is again on his side when he takes to the field tonight.

With appearances on the Shanghai, Oslo and New York stopovers of the series already under his belt, Hooker will enter the fourth of seven pole vault events on the all-new Diamond League calendar in search of a second successive podium finish and a share of the Diamond Race points up for grabs on the Lausanne runway.

Standing in his way will be world championships bronze medallist and Diamond Race leader Renaud Lavillenie (FRA), world championships silver medallist Malte Mohr (GER) and Berlin world titles finalists Romain Mesnil (FRA), Damiel Dossevi (FRA), Giuseppe Gibilisco (ITA), Maksym Mazuryk (UKR) and Alexander Straub (GER), setting up an almighty challenge for the reigning world, Olympic, world indoor and Commonwealth Games champion.

Fellow world title-holder Dani Samuels will also face a tough assignment when she returns to the Diamond League fold, on a collision course with Diamond Race leader Sandra Perkovic (CRO), world championships silver medallist Yarelis Barrios (CUB) and fellow Berlin finalists Stephanie Brown Trafton (USA), Zaneta Glanc (POL) and Aretha Thurmond (USA).

Since placing second on debut in the opening leg of the Diamond League series in Doha (QAT) in May, Samuels opted out of Diamond League meets in Oslo and New York and will return to action tonight on the back of a solid training block that should hold her in good stead against a quality field.

Making his Diamond League debut in Lausanne will be Victorian javelin specialist Jarrod Bannister.

Returning to action in February after time off with a serious elbow injury he sustained at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Bannister took out the men’s javelin event at the Briggs Athletics Classic in Hobart with a throw of 76.25m, then improved to 81.15m to place second behind visiting former world javelin champion Tero Pitkamaki (FIN) at the Sydney Track Classic later that same month.

At the Melbourne Track Classic in March Bannister again bettered his performance to 81.32m to finish third, then rounded out his return to competitive athletics with a throw of 83.17m to claim his third Australian title at the national championships in Perth in April.

In the field tonight Bannister will again face Pitkamaki, as well as world and Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) and world championships finalists Ainars Kovals (LAT) and Guillermo Martinez (CUB).

World 100m and 200m record-holder Usain Bolt (JAM) will headline the action on the track, lining up in the men’s 100m sprint.

IAAF Diamond League – Round 7
Lausanne (SUI)
Thursday, July 8

18:20PM (02:20AM Friday, July 9 AEST)
Discus throw: Dani Samuels

19:40PM (03:40AM Friday, July 9 AEST)
Pole vault: Steve Hooker

20:30PM (04:30AM Friday, July 9 AEST)
Javelin throw: Jarrod Bannister