Top athletes do battle in Lausanne

Swiss athlete André Bucher (centre) will be hoping to lead the pack at Athletissima Keystone Archive

Athletes from around the world are currently taking part in the Athletissima grand prix athletics meeting in Lausanne.

Thirteen Olympic champions and seven world champions have signed up for the world-class event, during which American Maurice Greene will attempt to improve on his own 100m world record.

Greene, known as the fastest man in the world, has promised he will be “even faster” in Lausanne.

Fellow American sprinter, Marion Jones, will be another world-class athlete to watch, as she tries to put her name back at the top of the women’s 100m rankings.

Swiss interest at the event will be spearheaded by 800m runner André Bucher.

At the Golden League athletics meeting in Rome last Friday, Bucher proved he was ready to make headlines at Athletissima after achieving the world’s fastest time of the year in the 800m.

But Bucher will be looking out for the South African, Hezekiel Sepeng, who finished fourth in the 800m in Rome and has emerged this season as one of the Swiss star’s biggest competitors on the international athletics circuit.

Other Swiss athletes who could make an impact at the event include Anita Brägger in the 800m and 1500m specialist Peter Philipp.

Bucher, Brägger and Philipp have all already qualified for the World Athletics Championships, scheduled to take place in Edmonton, Canada in August.

Once again, this year’s Athletissima event is putting itself at the forefront of internet technology. The entire meeting is being broadcast on the web, with near television quality being promised to viewers with fast connections.

swissinfo with agencies