“Weltklasse Zürich” has for decades had the reputation of being the world’s most renowned track-and-field event. At no other athletics venue can spectators year after year be sure of experiencing such an electric atmosphere as in the Letzigrund Stadium. “Weltklasse Zürich” stands for quality and tradition in sport, its 79-year history just one long list of records and breathtaking photo finishes. Since its inception, “Weltklasse Zürich” has seen a total of 24 world, and 250 Swiss, records broken.

Unforgettable in that ultimate test of athletic prowess, the men’s 100 m, was the world record set by German sprinter Armin Harry, who in 1960 became the first man to cross the finishing line in a “straight” 10 seconds – a milestone in sporting history. And when, in 1988, the American Carl “The King” Lewis covered the same distance in 9.93 seconds, the crowds in the Letzigrund were ecstatic all over again. The most recent addition to the list of record-breaking sprinters was Asafa Powell of Jamaica, who in 2006 set a new record of 9.77 seconds.

New stadium – new meet
The year 2007 saw the venerable old Letzigrund Stadium replaced by a new multifunctional arena with room for crowds of between 30,000 (for athletics events) and 50,000 (for open-air concerts). According to stadium director Patrick Magyar, however, the myth of “Weltklasse Zürich” will live on in the new arena, too, which he proudly describes as the “loveliest athletics temple in the world”. After a construction period lasting just one year, 7 September 2007 saw “Weltklasse Zürich” being celebrated once again. Among the many assets of the new Letzigrund Stadium are the excellent presentation opportunities. It can show its own TV productions on giant screens in the stadium, for example, ensuring that audiences are provided with attractive images, graphics and information. The organizing committee has introduced some other spectacular innovations, too, its motto now being “duels, not records.” Speed alone is no longer of the essence, in other words. Whereas it used to be enough to be the first past the post, these days the focus is on tactics and the “killer instinct” that all sportsmen and women share.

Not surprisingly, the events are invariably sold out months in advance and long before the first athletes have committed themselves to coming, or the first “big name” has signed up. “Spectators know that our list of athletes reads very much like a who’s who of each discipline,” says Magyar. Zürich invariably attracts a knowledgeable and enthusiastic crowd and the electrically charged atmosphere in the stadium is already the stuff of legends.

“Weltklasse Zürich” international
For many years now, millions of viewers have been able to follow the meet live on television. In 2006 alone, the event had some 15 million people in 135 countries glued to their screens, while 445 journalists and commentators from 21 countries were present in the stadium to report live on what was happening. Among journalists, too, therefore, “Weltklasse Zürich” is known fondly as the “Olympic Games in a single evening.”