Zurich (AFP)

Canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, the meeting in Zurich resisted and proposed Thursday a distance competition bringing together in seven different places, in Europe and the United States, athletic stars including Christophe Lemaitre and Jimmy Vicaut for their return.

The Swiss city was originally scheduled to host the Diamond League final on September 11, but the health crisis went through, completely disrupting the calendar and forcing the organizers to cancel the meeting. Instead, they went back to a team event in an original format.

Allyson Felix, Noah Lyles, Christian Taylor, Shaunae Miller-Uibo, Ekaterini Stefanidi, Andre De Grasse, Omar McLeod, Jimmy Vicaut, Christophe Lemaitre: the cast looks great even if the event will not meet the usual canons of a meeting , pending the normal resumption of the major athletics circuit, on August 14 in Monaco.

Oslo had already tried it on June 11 but Zurich is going even further since the athletes will perform behind closed doors simultaneously in seven stadiums in Europe and the United States, including the legendary Letzigrund. Divided into three formations (United States, Europe and Rest of the world), they will compete in eight disciplines (4 women, 4 men), some very classic (pole, triple jump, 200 m) and others much more original (100 yards, 150 m, 300 m hedges, 3x100 m).

The formula is very specific but never mind. While the international season has been strongly impacted by the coronavirus with in particular the postponement to 2021 of the Tokyo Olympic Games and the cancellation of the European Championships in Paris, the athletes have ants in their legs.

- "Adrenaline" -

"Nothing can replace the adrenaline of the competition," said pole vault vice-world champion Sandi Morris. "Even if there will be no audience and it will be a virtual competition, I am happy to knowing that I'm going to jump against someone, even on the other side of the world. That's what motivates me. I live for that. "

Christophe Lemaitre is also guided above all by "the desire to find the framework of a competition, to finally be able to let off steam and compare oneself with others even if it will be by screen interposed." The Frenchman, who comes out of a totally failed 2019 year, already has his eyes riveted on Tokyo.

"Preparing for the Olympics after a busy year can be complicated," he told AFP. "You still have to compete to keep your footing and keep up."

For his first summer outing, the Olympic bronze medalist (2016), present in Zurich, will be served as he will rub 200 m to the distance boss, the American Noah Lyles, who will perform from Bradenton in Florida.

Jimmy Vicaut, now based in the United States, will launch his season on 100 yards (91.44 m), also in Bradenton, with as opponents the Canadian Andre De Grasse and the Jamaican Omar McLeod, Olympic champion in the 110 m hurdles .

Thumb operated last week, Renaud Lavillenie was replaced by his brother Valentin in the pole vault. The finalist of the Worlds-2019 will be opposed to the double world gold medalist Sam Kendricks and the Pole Piotr Lisek.

© 2020 AFP