Gianmarco Tamberi immediately returns to competition after European Championships

Gianmarco Tamberi in Lausanne

The Wanda Diamond League gets underway again with four Azzurri set to return to competition in the Lausanne event on Friday night after returning from the European Championships in Munich. In the high hurdles, Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi, just days away from his second outdoor continental title, reunites with his friend-adversary from Qatar, Mutaz Barshim, with whom he shared success at the Games. And like last year at the Swiss meet for Gimbo it will be his first outing since winning gold. The 11th (and third-last) stage of the top international circuit awaits on the 3000 steeplechase Osama Zoghlami, a splendid European bronze medalist, in the confrontation with many of the world’s best specialists.

There is blue on the weight platform with Nick Ponzio, who instead came close to the podium in Bavaria by placing fourth, and on the pole vault with Italian record holder Roberta Bruni, seventh in the final at the European Championships. The initial entry list includes the name of European silver medalist Ahmed Abdelwahed, who, however, chose to take a break, and the same goes for the Italian women’s 4×100 relay team, as most of the sprinters took a rest after the joy of bronze in Munich. Opening the Athletissima meeting is Thursday afternoon’s prologue dedicated to the men’s pole vault with the Mondo Duplantis phenomenon. Then on Friday, a cast worthy of previous editions, including Olympic, world and European champions, and a high-voltage program that continues the long axis that began in Oregon with the World Championships in Eugene and continued with last week’s spectacular races at the European Championships, before the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels (Sept. 2) and the finals in Zurich (Sept. 7-8). Direct TV coverage on RaiSport+HD and Sky Sports Action from 8-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 26.