The traffic on the Utoquai, Zurich's shore road, is more than sluggish towards the city centre.

Walking pace is already fast for drivers who can at least console themselves with the beautiful view of Lake Zurich.

Or the 5,000-meter runners, who come running towards them on a specially designed red tartan track, where the turning lane to the zoo usually runs.

Achim Dreis

sports editor.

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Diamond League finals for track and field athletes in Zurich, part one on the Sechseläutenplatz in the heart of the city.

The people of Zurich call the public space in front of the opera house “Bellevue”, and this Wednesday there are excellent prospects for bishops, jumpers and throwers.

If people don't come to athletics anymore, then athletics has to come to the people, that's the basic idea that World Association President Sebastian Coe also spreads.

"We live and die by whether we're attractive to people," says the former world-class middle-distance runner.

"It's great" is the boss's stance on the event over the stadium microphone, and the several thousand spectators strolling between the individual competition venues in the beautiful late summer weather don't disagree.

They marvel, clap, cheer, take photos.

Heavy iron balls from the shot putter fly towards them over a specially laid out piece of grass – men and women compete alternately, which makes the event even more attractive.

Right next door, starting from a raised catwalk, the circus-like pole vaulters run and fly across the square.

And all around the long-distance runners are circling.

Due to the characteristics of the public space, it is not just twelve and a half laps of 400 meters each around the opera, but almost nine over 563 meters.

The track is narrow, only three lanes are laid out, the curves have been raised, following the centrifugal forces, built on wooden planks.

The start is in the narrow corner "behind the trees", as the announcer announces.

The women set a pace that would please the traffic jam pilots on the Utoquai.

Kenya's Beatrice Chebet wins in 14:41.03 minutes, running the 5000 meters at an average speed of 20.7 kilometers per hour.

The "Showman" Tamberi before "Mr.

Jump"

23.23 meters means the measure of the day in shot put.

The American Joe Kovacs flexed his muscles and not only set his personal best and annual world best in his second attempt, but also set the Diamond League record and the second longest distance in the history of shot put.

Only his teammate Ryan Crouser, second this time, has already pushed past his world record (23.37).

It is particularly valuable for the audience that they are not in a stadium from above, but can see the 7.26 kilogram ball from the side, from the front or behind during a competition to touch and understand while flying - and thus feel the force of the competition become particularly aware.

The Italian Gianmarco Tamberi, who is often described as a "showman", but who is above all a master of his high jump discipline, not least European champion and Olympic champion, regularly proves how an athlete can play with the audience.

He usually asks the spectators to clap along before his jumps, this time - when it's all about 2.34 meters - he demands silence.

He puts his finger to his lips, even makes the DJ stop the music.

Then he collects himself and finally makes his way towards the high jump bar and mat.

It's so quiet that people can hear Tamberi's every running step on the tartan.

The outcry is all the more deafening when he actually masters the height – and thus in front of “Mr.

Jump" wins, the young American JuVaughn Harrison, who achieved the feat of qualifying for the Olympics as a long jumper and high jumper.

With the diamond as a trophy in his arm, the extroverted 30-year-old Italian Tamberi dances through the square, hands out kisses and flowers – now again a showman.

And the $30,000 bonus for winning the Diamond League is just what the newlywed husband is looking for before starting his honeymoon in the Maldives.

But the runners-up also enjoyed the day: "I had so much fun," blurted out American Sandi Morris after the competition.

The closeness to the people motivated the 30-year-old, who also had success as a singer in Zurich's Letzigrund a few years ago, even more.

The only thing that bothered her: "I couldn't show any more jumps".

At 4.76 meters it's over for her - the three-time World Championships runner-up and silver medalist at the Olympic Games once again takes second place.

The win goes to Nina Kennedy (4.81) from Australia.

Pacemaker Thorwirth

And when the rain shower that was actually announced for 4 p.m. actually occurs around 7 p.m., the only German that evening finally has his appearance.

Flanked by lightning on the horizon, Maximilian Thorwirth proves to be an exquisite pacemaker over 5000 meters.

The 27-year-old from Düsseldorf leads the field of Kenyans, Ethiopians and Americans with the stipulation to run the kilometer in 2:36 minutes, so that a time of exactly 13 minutes should come out at the end.

Keeping the beat is not that easy with 563 laps.

But Thorwirth runs like a metronome, is happy about the unexpected opportunity to get a taste of Diamond League air with the best, even in the pouring rain, and then cheers on the rivals on the racetrack after his work is done and he gets off.

Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorir wins in 12:59.05 minutes.

Thorwirth is very satisfied.

And the Zurich motorists are amazed: they would also like to be able to reach 23 kilometers per hour.