Reigning Wanda Diamond League champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh will headline a world class field when this week’s Athletissima meeting kicks off with a highly anticipated high jump competition in the centre of Lausanne on Thursday evening.
The high jump street event at Lausanne’s Place Centrale will see indoor world champion Mahuchikh take on the cream of the crop of women’s high jumping, with crucial Wanda Diamond League points at stake.
Mahuchikh, who won her first Diamond League title last season, will be hoping to take another step towards the final as she chases a second successive Diamond Trophy in 2023. The Ukrainian got her title defence off to a winning start in Rabat last month with a meeting record of 2.01m.
She is level on points with Nicola Olyslagers in the qualification standings following the Australian’s victory in Paris, while fellow Ukrainian Iryna Gerashchenko and Serbia’s Angelina Topic top the table with 12 points after strong performances at both meetings.
Olyslagers, Gerashchenko and Topic will all joing Mahuchikh in Lausanne, while Yuliya Levchenko and Kateryna Tabashnyk make up the rest of the Ukrainian block.
Britain’s Morgan Lake will also feature, and double Olympic heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam will fly the flag for Belgium.
The high jump street event will take place at 18:00 local time (GMT+2) at Lausanne’s Place Centrale. The main Athletissima programme will be held at the Stade de la Pontaise on Friday evening.
The Wanda Diamond League is the premier one-day meeting series in athletics. It comprises 14 of the most prestigious events in global track and field. Athletes compete for points at the 13 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene on 16th-17th September.