That many? – Natalia Bukowiecka asked. – This is the Diamond League – Piotr Lisek reminded her. The captains of the national team announced further names of athletes who will appear at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial on August 16th. Faith Kipyegon, Femke Bol and Karsten Warholm are just a few of the newly announced star names. Tickets are available on the Memorial’s website.
The startlists of the Diamond League meeting in the Superauto.pl Silesian Stadium are filling up with stars. With one month to go, meeting director Piotr Małachowski, who has been working on the invitations along with management team since last autumn, has most places reserved. The information on the names has, however, been rationed until now.
– At one of the meetings of the committee we though things through and decided we needed to show the fans the scale of what will happen in Silesia on August 16th. We also thought we would let the Polish stars know. We invited Natalia Bukowiecka and Piotr Lisek. It was to them that we handed the envelopes with more headliner names to reveal – recounted Marek Plawgo, the meeting’s communications director.
– Honestly? I am in shock looking at the names I just read. Looking at their PBs and medals won, I am sure this will be an incredible show – Natalia said.
– Yes, that is exactly the effect we were going for – Plawgo said with a laugh.
Ingebrigtsen made the impossible possible. Now it is Kipyegon’s time
The Polish athletes drew eight names in total. Out of those, it is Faith Kipyegon who has been the talk of the athletics world in recent days. The Kenyan has dominated the 1500 metres distance since the 2016 Rio Olympics. The three-time Olympic champion set a new world record for the distance last weekend in Eugene. She finished the race in Hayward Field in 3:48.68 and now holds the three fastest times ever. But she is not stopping there. In late June in Paris, she attempted to redefine the women’s mile race. In an attempt organised by her sponsor, Kipyegon tried to become the first woman to break 4 minutes. The goal proved out of reach, however, the athletics legends assembled in Stade Charlety nonetheless witnessed something exceptional. Aided by, among others, an ultra streamline outfit, the 31-year old finished in 4:06.42, faster than her own world record, even if below the enormous expectations she puts on herself.
– With this much success on her CV, breaking barriers remains the final goal of an athlete. I believe Faith is exactly at that stage now – Małachowski commented.
The barrier to break in Silesia on August 16th will be 8:06.11. That was the time achieved by Junxia Wang at 3000 metres in 1993. Kipyegon’s personal best is now 11 years old. When she set it in Qatar in 2014, she was barely 20 years old. And much inferior to her current self.
– She is capable of more and she knows more, e.g. about Ingebrigtsen improving the 3000 metres world record in our stadium last year. On the men’s side, just as on the women’s now, the record looked unbreakable. But nothing is forever. It looks like Faith is dreaming of proving it true – Plawgo said.
Warholm set a world record this year already. It foreshadowed another in 2021
The list of names announced by Bukowiecka and Lisek also includes one-lap hurdling legends.
– Femke Bol, the world champion and Olympis runner-up in the 400 metres hurdles will be competing, as will the great Karsten Warholm – the national team captains from the recent European Team Championships in Madrid announced.
On this occasion, Bol will not be racing against Bukowiecka, as she will compete in her primary event. The same one was chosen by the Norwegian. He is an Olympic gold and silver medalist, but most of all the man who changed the course of history in the 400 metres hurdles in Tokyo in 2021. In the Olympic final he set a new global mark of 45.94. The time is yet to be bettered, but there are indications Karsten himself may be capable of another record. The supposition comes from the times he achieved in Xiamen and Oslo. At both Diamond League meetings, the phenomenal Viking raced over the shorter distance of 300 metres hurdles and broke his own world record twice. The previous mark was also set during the 2021 season. He followed that with his achievement over the full lap in Tokyo.
– I am very happy to come back to the Diamond League in Silesia. Last year’s event was incredible for me and I hope to run a really fast time in Poland this year. I hope we will all have something to be happy about – Warholm stated.
In 2024, the 29-year old ran a great 46.95 to win in Silesia. He said that is not enough for him. All that can be done is hoping he will keep his word and wishing him well on August 16th.
Polish hammer kings to face Canadians. A great battle in store
The meeting in the Silesian Stadium is not just about track events, as Lisek pointed out. He drew attention to the main memorial event – the hammer throw.
– Commemorating Kamila with us will be Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rodgers. They are the Canadian answer to Anita Włodarczyk, Wojciech Nowicki and Paweł Fajdek – he observed.
Katzberg and Rodgers have had the perfect time since 2023. Both won the jackpot – first world titles, then Olympic golds. Significantly, both are also starting to approach the all-time best marks. Ethan has thrown 84.38, while Camryn reached 78.88 on Saturday in Eugene. The marks give them 9th and 5th place on the all-time lists, respectively.
– Are we talking about the javelin, too? – Natalia asked and continued without waiting for a reply – Neeraj Chopra will face Arshad Nadeem – she stated.
The Indian-Pakistani battle awaiting the Polish fans will be the first opportunity for revenge after the Paris Olympics.The Pakistani’s form remains something of a mystery, as he rarely appears on the European circuit. The exception he will make on August 16th results from his desire to face Chopra. The latter became the 26th thrower in history to surpass 90 metres this spring. And he is certainly yearning for more.
– I will add the women’s long jump to the list. We will see Malaika Mihambo, the Olympic and world champion, who will face, among others, Larissa Iapichino – said Lisek, adding that he is hoping for the participation of a Polish representative in the event.
The Poles earned their invitations with top performances. Little diamonds in the Diamond League
It is indeed possible. It was proven by those who found out they were invited to Silesia during the recent European Team Championships in Madrid, after great performances for the team who took second place in Spain. Among those invited for August 16th were Oliwer Wdowik, Filip Rak and Klaudia Kazimierska. The talented young generation of Polish athletes are called „little diamonds”in the natonal federation’s circles. That makes the meeting with precious stones in its name the appropriate stage to shine.
The Polish contingent for the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial is already quite numerous and, according to the organisers, is set to grow. As of now, we know Ewa Swoboda will race Julien Alfred in the 100 metres and the Olympic medalist Natalia Bukowiecka will run the 400 metres. Among the rivals of the pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis will be Piotr Lisek, while the memorial hammer throw competition will feature Paweł Fajdek and Wojciech Nowicki. There will be no shortage of excitement in the hurdles races, with Jakub Szymański facing the great Grant Holloway and the women’s event featuring Pia Skrzyszowska and Alicja Sielska. In the non-stadium part of the meeting, planned for August 15th in the Katowice town square, the competition for the world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh will include Maria Żodzik.
– Great duels, revenge, accounts to settle – that is the core around which we want to build excitement – stated Piotr Małachowski, sports director of the meeting
– I really cannot wait to race Ingebrigtsen. Competing in the Silesian Stadium is an honour, it is a shame it happens so rarely, because this is the perfect place to set records – Rak recently stated in an interview with TVP Sport
Last moment for best seats in the house
The Diamond League will make a stop in Silesia for the fourth time. Last year, the fans saw two world records, set by Duplantis and Ingebrigtsen, both of whom are coming back to Poland and are planning to attack records once again. The organisers are dreaming of records, too. The previous edition of the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial proved to be the best one-day athletics meeting in history according to the World Athletics rankings. It also received the „Event of the year” award at the yearly „Przegląd Sportowy” gala.
– 42 thousand people observed it from the stands and we believe it is possible to surpass that number this time. This is what current sales numbers suggest. The best sectors are nearly full already, so this is the last moment to find seats with the best views. Please believe us, it will be worth it. One month before the World Championships those whose names we announce will want to prove a point to their rivals. It will make for great viewing in Silesia –Plawgo said.