08/07/1977
The birth of the meeting
"Who would have thought? Not only is athletics a big hit in Lausanne, but last night in Vidy it almost caused a small riot in front of the cash desks at the Pierre-de-Coubertin stadium. Hundreds of cars were parked on the motorway and along the Avenue de Cour... At one point, the organisers thought they were going to be overwhelmed. They had to print new tickets on the sly to satisfy all those who were asking. But in the end it all worked out, and it's no exaggeration to say that the exceptional show promised by the billboards lived up to all its promises.
Of course, no world record was broken, as we had dared to hope, with good reason. And the 11,000 or so spectators at Vidy did not go home with that unique, indefinable feeling in their hearts of having witnessed a feat that no man had ever achieved before. But who would dare speak of disappointment?
In truth, I feel that athletics has come out of this adventure stronger than ever. We were able to realise that a world record is no small matter, but a veritable monument. Because both Stones and Walker, superb as we've rarely seen them, and Rose, not forgetting that devil Kimombwa, didn't cheat on the goods."
By Michel Busset (1947-2013)
08/07/1977
Dwight Stones
American high jumper Dwight Stones had to sweep the track before he could jump! Despite the rain, he told Jacky Delapierre, the meeting's director: "What a crowd! We'll be back in 3 weeks, it's a date...".
The athletes kept their word and returned on Wednesday, 3rd August 1977 for the second edition of the meeting, this time without the rain!
08/07/1977
John Walker
Middle-distance runner John Walker, blinded by the rain, won the 1500m race on 8th July 1977. He returned on 3rd August to a packed Pierre-de-Coubertin stadium: over 12,000 spectators!
13/07/1978
Cornelia Bürki
13/07/1978
Renaldo Nehemiah
American hurdler Renaldo Nehemiah, a young prodigy in the 110m hurdles, at 19 years old. Three years later, he became the first man to run the 110m hurdles under 13 seconds.
18/07/1979
Donald Quarrie
Usain Bolt was not yet born, but Jamaica already had its heroes. Don Quarrie, long after Herbert McKinley, had already shaken up the American sprinters. On Wednesday 18th July 1979, Don Quarrie was in lane 5, and he did wonders in the twilight of Vidy! He burst out of the blocks with impressive speed to fully justify his two 200m world records: 19'8 in Cali (1971), then 19'7 in Eugene (1975).
14/07/1981
Flirting with world records!
The Lausanne International Meeting is saved: the weather was fine! Large crowds flocked to the enchanting Pierre-de-Coubertin stadium in Vidy in the hope of witnessing a world record.
Some of the athletes thrill them by flirting with those coveted records.
American Edwin Moses ran the 400m hurdles in 47'14. German high jumper Dietmar Mögenburg also kept his hopes alive by attempting a bar at 2.37m, which he unfortunately failed to clear. Finally, in the mile, Great Britain's Steve Ovett, well supported by his friend Bob Benn, started off on a much lower footing than the world record holder. Having overestimated his strength, he finished with difficulty, just one second short of the record, in 3'49''66. In this thrilling race, Switzerland's Pierre Délèze finished third in 3'51''77, a new national record, while France's Alex Gonzalez set a new French record in 3'57''72.
14/07/1981
Edwin Moses
On lane 5, Edwin Moses is at ease. The rhythm is flawless and the pace impressive. Crossing the obstacles with an outstretched leg, he was able to regain contact with the ground very quickly and win precious hundredths. At 26, Moses is in the middle of an immense career. In addition to two Olympic titles (1976 and 1984), he went 122 races without defeat between 26 August 1977 and 4 June 1987.
30/06/1983
Pietro Mennea
After his Olympic title in Moscow, Pietro Mennea expressed his fatigue and his desire to give up top-level sport. But the bug to compete was still very much alive. The 31-year-old Italian came to Lausanne for the first time and won the 200m in 20'35, beating American Mel Lattany.
30/06/1983
Pierre Délèze
Pierre Délèze was already in Vidy on 8th July 1977, wading on the track that merged with the lake. Tonight, the sky is clear, the wind is rustling in the trees and ten thousand people amassed on the grassy banks are going to celebrate the Valaisan - soon to be 25 years old. The stadium beats to the rhythm of his stride. He was the first Swiss to win in Lausanne (3'35''22).
"I could have gone faster, but raising my arms for a victory here is enough to make me happy. It was also the start of a fantastic run that saw him win again in Helsinki, London, Barcelona and Zurich.
10/07/1984
Harald Schmid
With five European titles in the 400m hurdles and two European records, Germany's Harald Schmid dominated the distance for almost ten years on the continent. He was also the last to win against Moses, in Berlin in late August 1977. "The 400m hurdles is a very special event where you have to avoid getting into the race with the others, as you run the risk of losing your own," he likes to explain. Concentrated but relaxed, with thick black hair and a delicately prepared moustache, and a charming smile, he becomes something else from his very first stride, all rage and determination. And it paid off: 47'69, the second-best world performance of the year.
10/07/1985
Last one in Vidy
At probably the last meeting in Vidy, 5 Olympic champions, 2 world champions and 3 European record holders made up, in part, the finest line-up seen in Lausanne since 1981. Unfortunately, too much wind and unseasonably low temperatures prevented the athletes from achieving the performances they had hoped for.
Markus Ryffel, one of the meeting's most consistent performers, set his own time after 25 laps of the track. Beaten by Japan's Seko, Markus Ryffel made a frank declaration of love after his 10,000m feat: "I admire the audacity of those who dared, launched and grew this event, and the Pierre de Coubertin stadium will always have something magical about it!
02/09/1986
First one in La Pontaise
After ten editions in Vidy, the meeting took place for the first time under its new name Athletissima, at the Pontaise, in a renovated Olympic stadium.
This premiere was broadcast live by the television cameras on a balmy late-summer evening in front of a huge crowd (16,000 people!) who were delighted by the change, but a little bewildered by so many performances taking place simultaneously in the stadium.
15/09/1987
The year of the Swiss
Organised just after the World Championships in Rome, this was the year a record number of spectators gathered at the Pontaise: 19,000 people! Switzerland's Werner Günthör was world shot put champion at the time, and legend Carl Lewis was also present.
Taking advantage of their form at the World Championships, three Swiss athletes set new national records: Rita Heggli in the 100m hurdles in 13'07 (1st), Anita Protti in the 400m in 52'44 (6th) and Pierre Délèze in the 2000m in 5'54'45 (5th).
In October, some excellent news reached Lausanne. Athletissima was to become part of the IAAF Grand Prix circuit. The promotion was due to the quality of the successive events, the value of the performances, the number of spectators and the stability of the organisation.
12/07/1990
Michael Johnson
In the 400m, the duel between Americans David Everett and Michael Johnson went to the advantage of the latter, who beat his personal best by 3 tenths: 44''27.
12/07/1990
Anita Protti
In the 400m hurdles, Anita Protti fought hard for victory, but finished second behind American Sandra Farmer-Patrick: 54''46 against 54''71. "Until the eighth hurdle, we were level, then..." The stadium was full. Everyone stood up at the same time. "And yet, as I concentrated, I saw this uniform movement, this wave of passion. I felt this wave of passion. It was magical!”
10/07/1991
A new world record for the wheelchair 1500m
For the opening event, Switzerland's Franz Nietlispach brought Athletissima its second world record by winning the wheelchair 1500m race in 3'18''47.
07/07/1993
Mike Powell
Mike Powell, world record holder in the long jump, is a real showman. He showed no sign of being frightened by the crowds gathered around the pit. It was he who, in this warm atmosphere, in communion with the public, gave an exceptional final touch to this edition with a 8.51m jump.
07/07/1993
Werner Günthör
Once again, Werner Günthör was the best Swiss athlete of the meeting: 21.72m in the shot put.
06/07/1994
Leroy Burrell
In the morning, Leroy Burrell was unequivocal: "Today is a good day to race". At 27 years of age, it was time for him to step out of the shadow of his friend and training partner Carl Lewis. Tonight, in lane 4, Burrell is king. Under stormy skies, Burrell admitted to "an excellent start despite a delay at 30m, then a smooth acceleration at 60m", and swallowed his 100m in 9'85 with a 1.5m lead. World record!
06/07/1994
Irina Privalova
The women's 100m saw Russia's Irina Privalova win ahead of Jamaica's Merlene Ottey in 10'77, setting a new European record for the distance. She also won the 200 metres.
05/07/1995
Special guest Dwight Stones
Nineteen years after his first appearance at Athletissima, American high jumper Dwight Stones (41), guest of honour for this 20th anniversary edition, cleared the 2.07m bar during the preliminary events.
05/07/1995
Stéphane Diagana
Frenchman Stéphane Diagana brought his second European record to Athletissima: 47'35 in the 400m hurdles. It was also the best world performance of the year.
03/07/1996
Michael Johnson
"Lausanne and Zurich! For me, these are without doubt the two best meetings in the world. The ones I enjoy taking part in the most."
– Michael Johnson
In the 400m flat, the American won in 43'66. It was his 54th victory. A month later, at the Atlanta Olympic Games, he was crowned Olympic champion in the 200m and 400m.
03/07/1996
Marie-José Pérec
In 49'45 over 400m, France's Marie-José Pérec clocked the best world performance of the year. She became Olympic champion in the 200m and 400m at the Atlanta Olympic Games a month later.
25/08/1998
Jean Galfione
A fan of the Lausanne meeting, Frenchman Jean Galfione won the pole vault competition with a jump of 5.90m, landing all his jumps on the first attempt.
02/07/1999
A year of innovations
The organisers introduced a number of innovations for the audience:
- an applause meter was introduced during the official ceremonies to determine which athlete had won the most applause from the public (with a prize of 5,000 francs!)
- an announcer on the field presents the athletes in the technical disciplines and gathers reactions from the champions at the end of the events
- a musical ensemble to liven up the start and finish of the meeting, and also to accompany the middle-distance races.
05/07/2000
Cathy Freeman
Australia's Cathy Freeman won the 400m in 49''57, achieving the best world performance of the year. A few weeks later, in Sydney, she lit the Olympic cauldron and became Olympic champion over her favourite distance.
02/07/2002
Kajsa Bergqvist
Sweden's Kajsa Bergqvist began the high jump competition by beating her two-year-old personal best (2.02m). "I felt very tired at the next height (2.04m) and wanted to stop after the second attempt. It was my coach who pushed me towards this third attempt", she recounts. She then cleared 2.04m, the fourth best performance of all time.
01/07/2003
André Bucher
Switzerland's André Bucher, the reigning world champion in the 800m, was at the back of the pack in the 400m, but made a fantastic comeback to finish second on the heels of the winner, Kenya's Wilfred Bungei: 1'44''53 to 1'44''86! The one who always refused to speak in French said into the announcer's microphone: "Thank you to the public. It's fantastic to be racing in Lausanne!"
01/07/2003
Christine Arron
Frenchwoman Christine Arron finished 2nd in the 100m in 11'15. A few weeks later, at the World Championships in Paris, she won gold with her team in the 4x100m.
06/07/2004
Leroy Burrell’s world record’s 10-year anniversary
Ten years to the day after breaking the 100m world record, Leroy Burrell, guest of honour at Athletissima, returned to visit the track where it all happened. The day before the meeting, the American wanted to return to the Olympic Stadium. Alone at the start of the 100m, Leroy Burrell knelt down, raised his head and looked out towards the finish. It was an unforgettable moment of contemplation for those lucky enough to witness it.
05/07/2005
Yelena Isinbayeva
Russian Yelena Isinbayeva began her pole vault competition by clearing 4.60m, then 4.70m, and finally 4.93m, a new world record. The previous winter, she had beaten four world indoor records, and she offered the Pontaise a new world record, the fourth she would achieve this year, "the densest, most successful and undoubtedly most intense of my career".
The fantastic athlete also triumphed with the public, achieving the highest score on the applause meter!
11/07/2006
Liu Xiang
The Pontaise burst with joy when Liu Xiang from China, at the age of 23, broke into the irrational: 12'88 in the 110m hurdles. A new world record!
Smiling in disbelief, Liu Xiang measured the impact of his achievement by the force of the hugs and embraces.
10/07/2007
Maryam Jamal
During the women's 1500m, the crowd rose to its feet to literally carry Maryam Jamal, from Lausanne by adoption, who, after leading the entire race, won by magnificently resisting the fightback of her rivals in the final stretch.
02/09/2008
Asafa Powell
With a spectacular time of 9'72, the terror of the sprint Asafa Powell, produced the second fastest performance of all time, beating his rivals by two tenths.
02/09/2008
Usain Bolt
This was the first time that Usain 'Lightning' Bolt took part in Athletissima. He treated the public to a magnificent 200m, clocking 19'63, the fourth best performance of all time and a new stadium record! And all this while easing off his stride in the last twenty metres! The applause meter went wild.
07/07/2009
First “Diamond League” edition
This was Athletissima's first participation in the newly renamed "Diamond League" circuit. The event was marked by torrential rain, reminiscent of the early days in Vidy.
07/07/2009
Usain Bolt despite the rain...
Once again the star of the evening, Usain Bolt promised Jacky Delapierre that this time he would run all the way to the finish line. It was his first serious 200m race, in torrential rain. Despite these conditions, his race lit up the stadium. At the end of this dizzying 200m, Usain Bolt, impassive, did not glance at the clock, which read 19''59. A time that would remain in the top 10 for three years.
08/07/2010
David Lekuta Rudisha
At the age of 21 and a half, David Lekuta Rudisha glides down the track. Grace personified. With a fascinating smoothness and a radiant smile, Rudisha dominates Mbulaeni Mulaudzi and Julius Yego over 800m. His almost unreal stride, endless, supple and powerful, amazed the audience.
08/07/2010
Brimin Kiprop Kipruto
Kenya's Brimin Kiprop Kipruto won the 3,000m steeplechase by a wide margin, recording the world's best performance of the year.
30/06/2011
A promising debut for the Swiss 4x100
The first big performance of the evening came from the Swiss women's 4x100m team who, by finishing second in the race behind the German team, set a new Swiss record with a time of 43'90. These young athletes, with an average age of 22, smashed a record dating back to 1979. Back then, none of them had even been born! Their result opens the door to the next World Championships in Daegu.
23/08/2012
First meeting in the world!
An exceptional edition in the history of the meeting, if not the best! Just 11 days after the close of the London Olympics, it reached unprecedented heights thanks to the quality of its organisation and the sheer number of performances put in by the athletes. The result: after several podium finishes, Athletissima ended the 2012 season as the best meeting of the year worldwide! A magnificent reward for all those who for 35 years have supported, collaborated with and, above all, believed in its international destiny.
23/08/2012
Yohan Blake
Jamaican Yohan Blake was the first to shine, running the 100m in 9'69, a new meeting record and, more importantly, the second-best world performance of all time.
23/08/2012
Usain Bolt
Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt, the darling of Lausanne's audience, also set a meeting record in the 200m with a time of 19''58, a race he won easily and unsurprisingly.
23/08/2012
Renaud Lavillenie
With a best jump of 5.80m (meeting record), French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie won the men's pole vault competition for the third time in a row.
23/08/2012
Silas Kiplagat
Kenyan Silas Kiplagat, winner of the 1500m in 3'31''78, is congratulated by his compatriot Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku.
04/07/2013
Bohdan Bondarenko
Ukrainian Bohdan Bondarenko (23), who asked for silence so that the public didn't disrupt his run-up, linked jumps with elegance. 2.23m, 2.30m, 2.35m, all successful on his first attempts. After his 3rd attempt at 2.41m, he was astonished: "I don't really know where I am any more... I feel like I'm in the stars, very high, very far away...". It had been 20 years since Cuban Javier Sotomayor had cleared a bar of 2.41m.
04/07/2013
A new Swiss record for the women's 4x100m
To round off this fine evening, the four Swiss women in the 4x100m, Lea and Ellen Sprunger, Mujinga Kambundji and Fanette Humair, beat their own national record by 3 hundredths, setting it at 43''48.
03/07/2014
Valerie Adams
Right from her first throw at 20.42m, New Zealand's Valerie Adams, who is coming off a period of injury, took the lead in the shot put competition. She gave her rivals little chance of overtaking her.
03/07/2014
Justin Gatlin
American Justin Gatlin set a new world lead in the 100m with a time of 9'80. He emphasised the excitement of the Lausanne crowd: "I posed for over 100 selfies today, but it's these people who push us to give our best".
09/07/2015
Allyson Felix
America's Allyson Felix wins the 200m in 22'09. A few weeks later, at the Beijing World Championships, she becomes the world champion in the 400m. She is now the most successful athlete in history.
09/07/2015
Mo Farah
A long-distance specialist, Mo Farah won the 5000m race with a time of 13:11.77 on his first appearance at Athletissima, which also marked the start of his season. He gave the team in charge of the call room a big scare when he slipped off to the bathroom just as he was due to go into the stadium to get ready for the start!
09/07/2015
Swiss women's 4x100m
The Swiss women's 4x100m relay team, now the highlight of Athletissima eagerly awaited by spectators, continued its winning streak, this time in 43'73. At the World Championships in Beijing a few weeks later, however, they failed to qualify for the final, despite clocking a good time (43''38).
25/08/2016
Sam Kendricks
On his second visit to Athletissima, America's Sam Kendricks won the pole vault event by a wide margin, setting a meeting record of 5.92 on his 2nd attempt. He beat French monster Renaud Lavillenie by 20 centimetres.
25/08/2016
Dalilah Muhammad
American Dalilah Muhammad won the 400m hurdles in 53'78, a time that rounded off her season. In her post-race interview, she said she had the world record in her sights for the following year. She finally set it in 2019, and broke it again a few months later!
06/07/2017
Lea Sprunger
With just one month to go before the London World Championships, Lea Sprunger, buoyed by her home crowd in Lausanne, finished 2nd in the 400m hurdles with a time of 54.29, just four hundredths off the national record held by Anita Protti. This was her new personal best, and further strengthened her decision to specialise.
She broke the Swiss record for the distance two years later, at the Doha World Championships (54''09).
06/07/2017
Wayde van Niekerk
Best world performance of the year, meeting record, Diamond League record. South Africa's Wayde van Niekerk won the 400m flat by a landslide with a time of 43'62, his first race of the season over this distance. A month later, in London, he became world champion in the 400m in 43'98.
06/07/2017
Sarah Atcho
For her first participation in a Diamond League race, Sarah Atcho from Lausanne, only 22 years old, competed against the best in the world in the 200m, finishing the race in 23'04. A few weeks later, at the European U23 Championships in Poland, she became European runner-up in the distance (22''90).
06/07/2017
Mariya Lasitskene
After clearing 2.01m on her first attempt, Mariya Lasitskene raised the bar by five centimetres. She cleared 2.06m on her second attempt: the best world performance of the year, the Diamond League record and the meeting record. Cheered on by the Pontaise crowd, she tried unsuccessfully to clear 2.10m.
04/07/2018
Renaud Lavillenie
France's Renaud Lavillenie won this first City Event with a best jump of 5.91m on his second attempt.
05/07/2018
Swiss women's 4x100m
The Swiss 4x100m relay team seems unstoppable: first place in 42'29, a new Swiss record and a new meeting record! A time that confirms their motivation, just one month ahead of the European Championships in Berlin, where they finish just off the podium by a few hundredths.
05/07/2018
Marie-Josée Ta Lou
Ivorian Marie-Josée Ta Lou won the women's 100m in 10'90, almost a tenth ahead of Elaine Thompson.
05/07/2018
Mujinga Kambundji
With a time of 11'03 over 100m, Mujinga Kambundji set a new Swiss record as well as a new personal best.
05/07/2018
Noah Lyles
For his first visit to Athletissima, Noah Lyles laid the foundations: best world performance of the year and personal best in the 200m, 19'69. He would later say in an interview that he could do even better, and history has shown him to be right.
05/07/2019
Noah Lyles
Noah Lyles kept up the momentum: in 19.50, for his second consecutive visit to Athletissima, he set a world lead, a meeting record and a personal best.
05/07/2019
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the women's 100m in 10'74, well ahead of Dina Asher-Smith (10'91) and Marie-Josée Ta Lou (10'93). A few months later, at the World Championships in Doha, she was crowned world champion in the distance (10''71), with the same podium finish as at Athletissima!
05/07/2019
Jakob Ingebrigtsen
For his first visit to Athletissima, 18-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen finished 2nd in the 1500m in 3'30''16, his personal best at the time. At the same time, he beat the European junior record and the European U23 record for the distance. In his post-race interview, he praised the power of the Lausanne crowd.
02/09/2020
Covid Edition
2020 was a complicated year, to say the least, for the events sector. Faced with the global health crisis, it quickly became clear that it would be impossible to hold the meeting at the stadium as usual. Showing their agility, the organisers bounced back by staging a simultaneous men and women double pole vault competition right in the heart of the Flon in Lausanne. A first for this type of event!
02/09/2020
Mondo Duplantis
It was a fantastic evening for the young pole-vaulting prodigy Mondo Duplantis. From the outset, there was healthy competition with his sidekick Sam Kendricks. 5.82m, 5.87m, 5.92m, 5.97m, 6.02m: unstoppable, the two cleared all these bars on the first try. Kendricks lost out after three failed attempts at 6.07m, which Mondo cleared on the first try! It was a quadruple: best world performance of the year, Diamond League record, national record and meeting record! He asked for a bar at 6.15m but gave up jumping at the last moment, out of caution because of the lack of light.
26/08/2021
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, true to her nickname Pocket Rocket, won the 100m in 10'60 against her compatriots Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shericka Jackson. In doing so, she set a meeting record and her own personal best, which still stand to this day.
26/08/2021
Yulimar Rojas
With a best jump of 15.56m, Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas, helped by a favourable wind, set a Diamond League record and a new meeting record.
26/08/2021
Ryan Crouser
American Ryan Crouser set a new meeting record with his first throw of 22.81m. It was his best throw of the competition, which guaranteed him first place.
26/08/2022
Mondo Duplantis
At the City Event in Ouchy on Lake Geneva, Mondo Duplantis once again caused a sensation. With his rivals having bowed out after 5.90m, he cleared a 6m bar on his own before setting a new meeting record with a jump of 6.10m on his third attempt, in front of a delirious crowd.
26/08/2022
Femke Bol
Dutch 400m hurdles sensation Femke Bol broke the 53-second barrier, setting a new meeting record for the second year running with a time of 52'95.
26/08/2022
Jakob Ingebrigtsen
Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen sets a world lead with his time of 3'29''05 over 1500m.
29/06/2023
Nicola Olyslagers
Australia's Nicola Olyslagers won the women's high jump competition in Lausanne city center with a bar at 2.02m, the best performance of the year (later beaten), a personal best and an Oceania record. A high-flying performance in an electric atmosphere.
30/06/2023
Femke Bol
Femke Bol kept up the momentum by beating her own meeting record set in 2022: 52'76 in the 400m hurdles! She crossed the line two seconds ahead of Finland's Viivi Lehikoinen, who was second in the race. Several weeks later, at the World Championships in Budapest, she was crowned world champion in the distance with a time of 51''70!
30/06/2023
Katie Moon
A couple of weeks before being crowned pole vault co-world champion with Australia's Nina Kennedy, America’s Katie Moon, née Nageotte, jumped a world-leading 4.82m (later beaten).
30/06/2023
Berihu Aregawi
Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi set a world lead, a meeting record and a new personal best by beating his rivals in the 5000m in 12'40''45. His time was the fifth fastest in history over this distance, beating the favourite Joshua Cheptegei by more than a second (12'41''61)!
30/06/2023
Ivorian women's 4x100m
The Ivorian women's 4x100m relay team, led by Murielle Ahouré-Demps and Marie-Josée Ta Lou, set a meeting record in 42'23. A fine performance for the team's first appearance at Athletissima!
