THIAM: "FINALLY WITH A CROWD!"
"I'm really looking forward to tomorrow," said double Olympic heptathlon champion Nafi Thiam, who will compete in the high jump at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme. "The neck pain, which forced me to miss the Wanda Diamond League meet in Eugene, is not bothering me anymore."
"Unfortunately I had to miss the past two meets at the Memorial, so it will be great to take part and finally compete in a stadium with spectators."
With 30,000 spectators the King Baudouin Stadium will finally be filled with enthusiastic and knowledgeable athletics fans, and the local audience is keen to finally see its Olympic champion perform.
"I don't have a lot of expectations for tomorrow, I am competing against the entire high jump podium from Tokyo. But I love to compete and I will try and stay in the competition as long as possible. Who knows what's possible with the support of the fans..."
DUPLANTIS: "ALL PIECES OF THE PUZZLE HAVE TO FIT"
Mondo Duplantis is also counting on the Brussels crowd to help propel him on the pole vault. "I really need that energy from the crowd," said the Olympic champion, who last year raised the meet record to 6m00.
Duplantis' world record is set at 6m18 and he would love to beat it on Friday. "I want to do something special every meet. I'm in great form, I know what I have to do, but all the pieces of the puzzle have to fit perfectly. It has to be warm enough and there can't be too much wind."
HASSAN: "READY FOR A FAST MILE"
Sifan Hassan was the queen of the Tokyo Olympics with gold medals in the 10,000 and 5,000 and a bronze medal in the 1,500m. At the Allianz Memorial Van Damme she will compete in the mile. "After the Olympics I was really happy. At first it was not easy to focus again, but I had some good training sessions and I am ready to go full speed on Friday."
"A 10,000m at the end of the season would be physically and mentally too much, but for a fast mile I have enough energy in the tank," said the 28-year-old Dutchwoman, who was previously already successful in Brussels, beating the world hour record last year. "I love the Memorial, the stadium and the city. At the start of my career I competed here in cross country."
CHOCOLATE
Mondo Duplantis is also a big fan of the meet, and not in the least because of other things Belgium has to offer. "The Allianz Memorial Van Damme has a rich history and you feel that. Whether Belgian or Swedish chocolate is the best? I had a lot of discussions about that with Ben Broeders (the Belgian pole vault record holder, who is also competing on Friday). Let's just say I have a lot of respect for Belgian chocolate," a diplomatic Duplantis concluded with a grin.
