Pole vault and 400m hurdles headline first ever two-day Memorial Van Damme
The 48th edition of the Memorial Van Damme, which takes place on Friday and Saturday in Brussels, will be historic for several reasons. It not only hosts the final of the prestigious Diamond League, but is also a two-day event for the first time, with the pole vault and women's 400m hurdles among the highlights.
First held in 1977, the Memorial Van Damme is named after Belgian athlete Ivo Van Damme, who won two gold medals at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and was killed in a car accident the same year. As always, the King Baudouin Stadium will host the 48th edition.
Olympic champions
The event kicks off on Friday evening with events including the discus, long jump and pole vault, where world and Olympic champion Mondo Duplantis will attempt to break his own world record. Also on the programme is the men's 1,500m with Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen and the women's high jump with gold medallist Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
On Saturday, athletics fans can look forward to the men's shot put with Olympic champion Ryan Crouser and the women's 5,000m with Olympic gold medallist Beatrice Chebet. The event will close with the men's 800m and the women's 400m hurdles, featuring crowd favourite Femke Bol.
Diamond League final
The event is notable for being the final of this season's Diamond League. Over the past season, athletes have collected points in 14 series meetings and the best performers will be crowned champions in Brussels this weekend.
The athletes will be cheered on by tens of thousands of fans each night. More than 70,000 tickets have already been sold for the event. Combo tickets are completely sold out, but some tickets are still available for the individual days.
© BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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