Brussels: Press Conference Highlights
12 Olympic champions and 28 world champions will compete in the Belgian capital tonight as part of the Memorial Van Damme event and Meeting Director Cédric Van Branteghem is suitably excited.
The @MVDbrussels Meeting Director says 12 Olympic champions, 28 world champions and 16 European champions (from 2018 alone!) will feature as par of the #BrusselsDL #DLFinal. #DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/Yy6IUEapnu
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 30, 2018
As ever, the men’s 100m will be an exciting match up between some of the world’s fastest sprinters.
24-year-old American Ronnie Baker – who is the world leader in the 100m with a time of 9.87s – is one of the leading contenders to become Diamond League champion.
Competing for the Diamond Trophy in the men’s pole vault will be 18-year-old Swede Mondo Duplantis. The European champion cleared a sensational 6.05m in Berlin and admits his latest achievement doesn’t feel real just yet.
Newly crowned @EuroAthletics champion @mondohoss600 says his gold medal performance in Berlin was a "perfect night" as he admits it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.#BrusselsDL #DiamondLeague #DLFinal pic.twitter.com/VA1YgvtjPK
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 30, 2018
The standard of vaulting has been incredibly high this year, with Sam Kendricks the most consistent victor. Renaud Lavillenie took maximum points in Shanghai and Duplantis triumphed in front of home fans in Stockholm.
The teenager knows he’ll have to go some to repeat that feat this evening and he feels the competition will go the way of whoever finds the best rhythm on the night.
We can’t wait for this!@mondohoss600 knows that competition in the @MVDbrussels pole vault will be very close and high in quality.#BrusselsDL #DiamondLeague #DLFinal pic.twitter.com/Ot5HkNoX8Y
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 30, 2018
One athlete who’ll face a warm welcome from the crowd is Olympic and world heptathlon champion Nafissatou Thiam.
The 24-year-old, who is competing in the high jump, says she loves the enthusiasm of supporters at the meet.
.@thiam_nafi says the @MVDbrussels #BrusselsDL event is always a special one to return to and compete in. #DiamondLeague #DLFinal pic.twitter.com/ZtdDjmGWre
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) August 30, 2018
Watch the press conference back in full here.