Photo via Athletics Weekly

Diamond in the rough: how Conica keeps Lausanne's Diamond League meet among the fastest in the world

Fifty years ago, Athletissima emerged as a cornerstone of European athletics when Jacky Delapierre, a former Swiss 800m runner, launched the Diamond League meet in 1977. The same year, Conica, a Swiss engineering firm, was founded in Schaffhausen, laying the groundwork for its future dominance in high-performance track surfaces.

Their partnership became pivotal in 1986 when Athletissima relocated to Lausanne’s Pontaise Olympic Stadium—a venue originally constructed for Lausanne’s failed 1960 Olympic bid—where the meet’s first edition at the track drew 16,000 spectators. Swiss distance runner Markus Ryffel and shot putter Werner Günthör were among the standout performers at that historic event, setting the stage for Athletissima’s reputation as one of the fastest venues on the Diamond League circuit.

Now, with a newly installed CHF 1.5 million Conica surface, the track continues to deliver world-class performances, honoring the legacy of Delapierre and the precision engineering that defines modern athletics.

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