ZÜRICH 2014 – Tuesday – Sunday: Zürich 2014 Highlights

All six Zürich 2014 days of competition offer numerous highlights. However, each day will have its own focal points. Ticket prices are the same, no matter for which day you are planning a visit to Letzigrund Stadium.

Find out what’s on when at the European Athletics Championships Zürich 2014.

TUESDAY, 12 AUGUST
The day of the Swiss – and a grandiose Opening Ceremony!
A great Swiss line-up on day one of the championships: Noemi Zbären, Lisa Urech, Mujinga Kambundji, Nicole Büchler, Kariem Hussein, and many more! In addition, the two first titles will be awarded: In the men’s shot put, world champion David Storl (GER) and Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski (POL) will try to snatch the very first Zürich 2014 gold, and another set of medals is up for grabs in the women’s 10‘000m. DJ BoBo, Sunrise Avenue, tightrope artist Freddy Nock, and mascot Cooly will rock the arena during a grandiose Opening Ceremony.

WEDNESDAY, 13 AUGUST
100 m finals and Mo Farah‘s 25-lap run
Who are the fastest women and men of the continent? The 100m finals will feature defending champion Christophe Lemaitre (FRA), who is the only white sprinter to have run the distance in a sub 10.00 result.  And he is determined to win his second title. But there is a good chance that the magic 10-second barrier will be conquered again. German national record holder Julian Reus, for instance, has a good chance to become the second white sprinter to run that fast. Double Olympic champion Mo Farah (GBR) wants 10‘000m gold, and the 100m hurdles medals come within touching distance for the competitors. The final might include Noemi Zbären and/or Lisa Urech. The new King of Decathlon will be crowned, and Plasma, a Grisons-based band, will strike the final chords of day three at Zürich 2014.

THURSDAY, 14 AUGUST
Spotlight on local athletes; airshow by the pole vaulters
Heats and semi-finals in the 200m today! It will be an important day for the Swiss sprinters, incl. Lea Sprunger, Mujinga Kambundji, and Alex Wilson. Will they make it to the final? The heptathletes will start their two-day quest for gold, silver, and bronze. Switzerland will be represented by Linda Züblin, Ellen Sprunger, and Valerie Reggel. The pole vaulters (incl. Nicole Büchler) will invite you to their airshow. Finally, the javelin throwers (women), triple jumpers (men), and the high hurdlers (men) – among them French shooting star Pascal Martinot-Lagarde – will give their all for a spot on the championship podium. Trauffer, a modern-day Alpine musician, will be the star of today’s closing show.

FRIDAY, 15 AUGUST
A world record in danger, and the enthronement of the heptathlon queen
Today’s programme of events will include as many as seven track finals: 200, 400, 800, 1500m, and 400m hurdles. Christophe Lemaitre may target a double triumph, while local hero Kariem Hussein will – if all goes well – get in the blocks for his 400m  hurdles final. An old world record is in danger of being broken in the men’s high jump. Watch out for the title fight “Bondarenko vs. Ukhov”, or world champion vs. Olympic champion. Three Swiss athletes will have their second day of competition in the heptathlon. And Zurich pop musician Marc Sway will contribute the musical highlight to an eventful day.

SATURDAY, 16 AUGUST
A pole vault spectacle, relay fireworks, and a marathon in the city
In the morning, all eyes will be on Europe’s marathon ladies (incl. 6 Swiss competitors) in the Zurich city centre. At the stadium, visitors will get to watch seven very different final events, including the men’s pole vault, probably one of the most spectacular athletics disciplines. The appearance of world record holder Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) will definitely be one of the Zürich 2014 highlights. Will he have a try at his own 6.16m world record? The relay will once again be a special attraction for the public. At today’s closing show, DJ Tito Torres will pay tribute to Zurich’s most famous party, the Street Parade.

SUNDAY, 17 AUGUST
«Home fixture» for Viktor Röthlin, who will run his final marathon; 11 finals at Letzigrund Stadium
There will be some heartache today, when defending champion Viktor Röthlin will line up for his farewell race, and cofavourite Tadesse Abraham will embark on his quest to snatch his first medal for Switzerland. At the stadium, Mo Farah will try to win his second 5000m European championship gold after 2010. 

The relay races will – not only from a Swiss perspective – represent the final competition highlight. They will round of the championship competitions, and launch a spectacular Closing Ceremony featuring a number of trendy Swiss bands.

Source:  ZÜRICH  2014

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