Pole vault events shine a spotlight on world's finest

By Scott Bush, DyeStat Editor

The IAAF Diamond League carries on Thursday, as the Zurich Diamond League brings together the top track and field athletes to conclude a busy season. Not only is this the last competition of the year for the vast majority of competitors, but it's the culmination of the Diamond League for half of the contested events, meaning event winners will be crowned, earning Diamond trophies and hefty paychecks. 

How to Watch Thursday's Zurich Diamond League

With so many entertaining head-to-head matchups and deep fields of competitors, here are a handful of the top events to follow in Zurich.

Women's Pole Vault

While Zurich takes place Thursday, the women's pole vault gets underway Wednesday at the central terminal of the Zurich train station. This year, the top seven finishers at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships are scheduled to compete, included in that group are four of the top eight women ever in the event. 

Leading the charge is Katerina Stefanidi. The reigning Olympic and World champion owns a world-best vault of 16-1.25 (4.91m) and has won all four of the Diamond League competitions she's competed in this year. With such dominance one would think she leads the Diamond League standings in the pole vault, but that belongs to Cuba's Yarisley Silva, who holds a 34-32 advantage. 

With a win or second-place finish, Silva claims the overall title, but if she falls to third or worse and Stefanidi wins, it'll be the Greek star taking home top prize. 

Joining the duo is London silver medalist Sandi Morris of the United States and Venezuela's Robeilys Peinado, who scored a surprise bronze at Worlds. Add in New Zealand's Eliza McCartney and Great Britain's Holly Bradshaw among others and this field will surely entertain and delight those watching the spectacle in the train station. 

Men's 5,000 Meters

When Mo Farah lost the men's 5,000 at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships earlier this month, his loss stunned the London crowd, as the legend went down in an event he's dominated for years - his last track championship race of his career. While the loss certainly stung, Farah can get at least a bit of revenge on the man who defeated him, Ethiopia's Muktar Edris, who needs to edge fellow countryman Yomif Kejelcha in order to win the Diamond League crown. Both men have 19 points.

Heightening the drama of it all, Thursday's race is Farah's final track competition of his career. 

The trio of Farah, Edris and Kejelcha are each considered pre-race favorites, while American Paul Chelimo, who finished third in London, is also entered. The four distance runners finished within less than a second of one another at Worlds, going 1 (Edris) - 2 (Farah) - 3 (Chelimo) - 4 (Kejelcha).

Kenya's Ronald Kwemoi has an outside chance to win the Diamond League crowd, sitting four points behind Edris and Kejelcha. Kwemoi ran a sub-par race at the World Championships, so he'll be seeking his own redemption. 

Selemon Barega and Mo Ahmed, who placed fifth and sixth at the World Championships, are also entered, making this arguably the best non-championship 5,000 race of the year. 

Men's Javelin

If you haven't been following the men's javelin this year, you're in for a treat Thursday, as Germans Johannes Vetter and Thomas Rohler square off yet again this season. It has been a magical season for the men's javelin, as Vetter ranks as the second-best thrower in history with his 309-10 (94.44m) toss earlier this season, while Rohler ranks third in history with a personal-best 308-1 (93.90m) this season.

While both men sit well behind Jan Zelezny's world record of 323-1 (98.48m), Zelezny's second best toss of 313-10 (95.66m) is not out of reach. 

While Vetter won the world title in London and owns a better top mark, Rohler has to be considered the pre-event favorite. Rohler is coming off a disappointing fourth-place finish in London, so he's clearly motivated to redeem himself. He leads Vetter 30-28 in the overall standings, owning three Diamond League victories this season to Vetter's lone victory. 

Add in Czech standout Jakub Nadlesch, who is within striking distance of Vetter and Rohler with 25 points, and Finland's Tero Pitkamaki, who sits as the 10th-best javelin thrower in history, and this field is one to watch.

Men's Pole Vault

The Year of Kendricks carries on Thursday, as American vaulter Sam Kendricks looks to continue his magical year, contesting for another big win against a loaded field in Zurich. Kendricks not only won gold in London, he's set a new personal best this season by clearing the 19-8.25 (6.00m) barrier, in addition to winning four Diamond League meets, owning the top three marks of the year and five of the top 11. What a year!

It remains to be seen if Kendricks can carry his momentum over from the World Championships or if he'll experience a hangover like so many champions do. He does have an incentive to challenge for the win, sitting a mere point ahead of world record holder Renaud Lavillenie of France in the Diamond League standings, 32-31.

Lavillenie, who has won all seven Diamond League pole vault titles, finished third in London earlier this month, while Poland's Piotr Lisek finished second. Add in World Championship fourth-place finisher Pawel Wojciechowski of Poland and this field hosts a quartet of men who can not only challenge for the win but make an honest push to clear 19-8.25. 

Women's 200 Meters

The women's 200 has a bevy of stars ready to line up one more time and make one final statement. Diamond League standings leader and reigning world champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands edged Marie-Josee Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast at the World Championships, 22.05-22.08, and holds a 28-24 lead over second-place Ta Lou heading into Thursday's matchup. 

The two enter with plenty of momentum on their sides, but fans cannot discount Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, who currently boasts the second-fastest time in the world this year with a 21.91 finish May 28 at the Prefontaine Classic. Jamaica's Elaine Thompson, who won the 100-meter event in Birmingham last week, owns the third-fastest time in the world this season with a 21.98 at the Prefontaine Classic. 

Add in American Kyra Jefferson, who has the fourth-fastest 200 in the world this year, as well as two top-three finishes in recent Diamond League action, and this event might have as close a finish as we saw at the World Championships.