The Best Interviews With the Top Athletes at the 2026 Zurich Diamond League
The Best Interviews Check out interviews with some of the sport's top athletes after their performances at the 2026 Zurich Diamond League. Watch the Brussels Diamond League Final LIVE on FloTrack on September 4th and 5th! Catch FloTrack's Diamond League coverage all season long, including the World Feed, our companion show Athlete's Lounge, dedicated field event streams, and more! → https://flosports.link/3UK9p3C Interview Time Code: 00:00 - Parker Wolfe 3:38 - Masai Russell 6:47 - Kenny Bednarek 8:50 - Alison dos Santos 13:15 - Emma Coburn With the Top Athletes at the 2026 Zurich Diamond League
Video Transcript
But we're gonna send it down to the track for, talk to a guy that had another big win.
Parker Wolfe.
All right, time out.
Hey, Parker, we're gonna give you one shot right now.
Let's hear it.
Let's hear a howl.
Pick the howl.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
There we go.
The winning wolf howl.
Hey, Parker.
Come on.
Come on.
Runner-up last, la- at, at, at Lausanne, winner today.
You move up number three all time on the US list.
Like, tell us how you're feeling and, and, and what the plan was for today.
Yeah, I mean, like I said in, in Lausanne, I just gotta have better tactics.
I knew I was fitting up on the day to win that.
And today, I think I ran pretty smart.
I'm happy with it.
I missed you guys, so I'm glad I'm back here.
We missed you, too.
It's hard, it's hard in the moment.
Like, you- you're walking around, you're high-fiving, you got a flag, you're doing all this stuff.
Like, has it sunk in, like, the field you just took down, the way you did it, how it looked?
Like, me- a meet record in Zurich, and, and, and a personal best and all this stuff, and now- Out-kicking a 328 guy.
Do you, like, do you have that, the fireworks going off in your head?
Or do you just feel this, like, calm sense of validation for the stuff and the work you've been doing?
Yeah, I feel like it's more of a calm validation.
Like, I talked to my coach and, and, and we texted about it today.
Like, I knew I'm there.
If I'm there with a couple 100 to go and I'm strong enough, then I know I can win these.
I don't really care who's in the race, I just know I'm confident enough to, to compete with anybody.
And, yeah, I mean, I'm just happy it showed.
Like, I knew I was there.
I knew I was fitted up, especially after Prefontaine, taking down a good field there.
Like, I k- I knew I was ready.
So this was all, like, just, I'm glad it's over, 'cause that hurt.
Yeah.
That's really all it feels like.
Yeah, Par- I'm just, I'm just happy to be done.
Hell yeah, man.
We got, we got, so y- yeah, Brussels coming up now.
Like, obviously you're riding a high.
Like, momentum's everything in this sport, so you're feeling good.
So how do you, how do you, is there anything to recalibrate going into Brussels?
Like, would you adjust anything, do anything different, or focus on something else?
Like, what are you looking for now as you go into Brussels?
Yeah, I think the good thing is, like, I'm, I'm confident, and, I know the fitness is there, and so there's really not much to do fitness-wise.
Like, got a couple weeks of racing left.
There's, there's nothing you can really do.
You can't cheat the fitness.
I think the races are gonna help, and I think I'm just gonna keep getting better and better.
I mean, I think a lot of people this time of year, they can judge it wrong and, and be a little tired.
And I, I think Coach and I have done a really good job, at just, like, you know, being on the uprise right now.
So it's, it's, it's great.
Parker, before we let you go, gotta ask you about the men's 1500.
Your former teammate, Ethan, coming off of a big win.
My boy.
Yep.
Like, where, what have you, what have you guys talked about and where do you see him stacking up today?
I mean, we saw what he did in, in Silesia, so I know he's fit.
It's just these 1500s, how deep this field is, a lot of it's tactics.
So I, I know he's fitted up.
I just gotta see.
Maybe, maybe he'll run smart and do it for me today, you know?
I hopefully I set the tone for him.
That's what I wanted to do.
I love it.
You warmed it up.
You warmed the track up.
That's- Well, well, yeah, I think you set the tone for the- Right the guys behind you, too.
I think Dos Santos and Warhom are right there getting ready to rip a 400 meter hurdle.
I think, yeah.
Big- They're big Wolfe fans big 3K fans right there.
They're big Wolfe fans.
Yeah, no, oh yeah, for sure.
They, I, I heard them howl.
I think there was a howl behind you somewhere, but, um- Oh.
Oh, is that what that was?
Yes.
Yeah, yeah, I heard it, too.
Parker, big win today.
Congrats.
Enjoy it out there, and we're excited to see you.
Thank you.
Hopefully talk to you again in, just a few days in Brussels.
Oh, man.
I, I can't wait.
See you guys soon.
There it is.
The new world record holder.
Woo!
Yeah!
Let's go.
Ah.
Finally!
All right.
Finally.
Hey, I told them all in the- I feel the exact same way I told them all in the studio, I said, "I know she did that, you know, in front of the world, but she did that just for me."
Period.
Ah.
Masai, not only a world record, I mean, you beat the world, the, the former world record holder in the race.
You beat the, the world champ last year.
You were fourth in that race with both of them last year, and now you're the first woman ever to break 12.1 seconds.
Tell us how you're feeling and what that race was like.
Man, I don't even know how to feel.
I'm not gonna lie.
You know, this has been a long time coming.
This is a lifelong dream.
To ever consider yourself a world record at any point in your career is a, the biggest blessing that you can ever ask for in sport.
So I'm over the moon right now.
You know, when I came to the line, I had to post up a little bit, like, "Come on, now."
Yeah.
"Did we not expect this?"
Yeah.
And then, you know, once I seen the time and it settled it, I was like, "What the hell?
I really did it."
You know?
So it's crazy.
I'm over the moon.
This crowd is lit.
Yeah, it's just, I'm over the moon.
Hey, Masai, we just gotta watch this back with you while we got you.
I mean, this is your world record run right here.
Take a look.
Tell us what you see.
Yeah, I haven't seen anything.
Let me see this.
Out the block.
The start.
Oh.
Damn.
Yeah.
Whoa.
That's what I said, too.
That's what I said, too.
Yeah, I felt that pressure, and then I was like, "Nah, let me run to the line."
Yep.
I mean, that's what- I was like, this is the first time I was like, "Let me run to the line."
Yep.
It, it looked like Toby was coming up on you, and then all of a sudden you just separated.
What happened there?
Yeah, I felt her, and I was like, "All right," like, you know, "this feels like the race from China," but like, you know, "Let me get to the line.
Let me actually run through the line.
Let me execute through the line.
Let me not slow up, and let me see what time actually comes up this time."
So it's crazy to know that I can just respond whenever I feel any pressure, because it didn't even feel like that took much out of me.
Like, you know, it just felt like a good race.
I'll tell you how I feel tomorrow.
I'll, I'll tell English- and then she can report back.
But right now- Or everything I'm feeling great.
I have no, I have no analyst.
All I'm gonna ask you to do is, "Do it again, please.
Do it again."
Like, the job's not done.
If I did this in Budapest, I'd be like, "All right, job done for the season."
But we still got a Diamond League trophy to win.
I still gotta win Ultimates.
You know, the job does not end here.
I said that I'm done running fast times without leaving with something, so I'm gonna, I, I You know, like I said, job not done yet.
Hey, well, the job is done in Zurich.
Win, world record- Right fastest woman in history, the best season we've ever seen in this event.
Just all, all the things to you, Masai Russell.
Like, congrats.
We're excited to see you next week in Brussels.
A legend.
Blessings.
Blessings to you and your family.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Woo!
New world record holder, Masai Russell, everybody.
Hey.
Congrats to Kenny.
From the inside lane.
Well, listen, you say Kenny never breaks form.
I was gonna say, this man looks strong.
He's always looked strong, but he looks extra strong right now.
He looks terrific.
I gotta Kenny, have you been ripping more in the weight room than you have recently?- Ooh or what's going on?
You just look real good out there.
World lead today.
Yeah.
Congratulations.
Just, just pumping, just pumping that iron, you know what I mean?
I love the gym.
I'm just playing.
But, um- He's doing shrugs out in Switzerland.
Yeah, just like, ah.
But, yeah, this, this race pr-, felt pretty good.
You know, I wasn't quite sure what I was gonna put down, but, you know, I'll take the win.
I'll take a 1962.
It felt pretty good, and I'm just looking forward to the next race.
So going into the next race, is there anything in this race that you've seen that you're like, "Ah, I can clean that up a little bit.
I can make that a little better"?
Because what I saw was just pure perfection.
But maybe you felt something different than what we saw.
I mean, you know, when you're, you're at this level, you're always gonna feel a little something if you don't execute the way you want to.
But, I mean, I would say the first half was pretty good, but coming off the, the turn, at the top of the turn, I probably had a little misstep.
It was, like, a little hiccup, so I kinda felt like that messed up my, momentum that I, I built up.
But, like I said, it's, it's a very small, minute thing, so, it's something I can clean up for the next one.
But other than that, I felt great about the entire race.
Dude, ev- everybody had you winning this race.
Not a single person maybe in the entire world didn't have you winning this race.
But how do you approach races like this toward the end of the season, where there's not many left?
Are you really thinking about executing, or are you in almost a championship mindset of just win?
I mean, my thing is just executing.
I mean, I know I can get the win if I execute.
That's something that I've, I've had to get better at when it matters the most.
And you know, I'm taking it year by year to try to get better on just doing what I do at training.
So yeah, just going to the end of the season, it's just the same thing.
Just execute, and when I do that, you know, we'll get the win.
Now, the world record holder in the men's 400 meter hurdles, Alisson Dos Santos.
Hey.
We're unworthy.
We're unworthy.
Hey.
Ooh.
Yeah, let's go, boys.
Alisson- First off, amazing run.
I mean, very few people in history can ever say they broke a world record, but you broke the world record from the guy who was in the race with you that had the world record.
I just What was that like today?
And what We were just commenting on where you were at with 150 to go.
It was amazing.
What was it like?
Like, be honest with you, like, the memory that I have right now is from Tokyo in 2021.
That I was able to run faster than the previous world record, but I got third.
And I promise you, that hurt so bad.
I was like, "I never want to experience that again," break a world record and not be the first one.
So today, I make sure I cross the line first.
I make sure, like, I was able to run the world record and win the race at the same time.
Man, that's an origin story right there.
To go from that moment to this moment right here, wearing the Brazilian flag, your countrymen, like, rolling around the stadium.
You are the man.
Has it sunk in yet?
Has it hit you?
Not gonna lie to you, like, I, I, I I, I, I need to, like, understand.
Like, right now, I just saw my coach.
I was here, but I saw my coach.
Like, we were hugging and, and crying for a good two minutes over there.
Because, like, I, I, I, I, I, I don't believe it, it happened, you know, like, today, here.
And just, like, it's something that you dream of, but when it come, you're just like, "Okay, cool."
I was expecting this, like, for so long, and now I actually, I actually did it.
So I'm just happy.
I'm thrilled.
I'm excited.
And, like, all I can think about is, like, it's safe to say I'm the biggest.
I, like, you know, I'm doing great, I'm running fast, and just, like, enjoying the season.
Yeah, you are.
A- Alisson, look at this with us.
At this last 100, 150 meters, you not only bro- broke the world record and set a PB, this is a half a second off of your previous personal best.
What are, what are you seeing here?
Yeah.
I'll be honest with you.
All I can I, I, I, I can see is my belly.
Not gonna lie, I felt like the shirt was coming up.
I was like, "Ah."
"Why am I running with a crop head?
Come on.
The picture won't look that good."
I like that crop top.
I was like, "Come on, help me out here."
Listen- Yeah, I was like, you know what?
We, we, we, we do something new.
We just started something new.
It's a new trend.
Hey, there, it, there's a few scenarios where that's okay.
Number one is a nightclub.
Number two is breaking the world record.
The world record, exactly.
I say keep it.
You know- You know, when when you do something, you do want, you don't run that fast, they'd be like, "Oh, you know, that was the foul.
He was wearing a crop head."
But when you do that and broken the world record, that's, everybody gonna do that.
Next race, you're gonna see everybody bellies out.
Bellies out.
Alisson, this is a dream come true, you know what I mean?
Like, every runner wants to be the best to ever do it, right?
And you finally are here.
And we f- I feel like as track fans, we've watched you over the years to just become this runner that you are.
Can you give anything to the kids back home on your journey, on the process of getting here, and, like, what it means right now?
Yes.
Like, you know, I was with the kids club, like, yesterday over here, and just, like, having a great time with them.
Because, like, I feel we are the present, but they are the future.
You know, I came from a small town in Brazil.
Like, and I, I grew up watching other people.
I grew up, like, watched DeGrassi.
I grew up watching like a bunch of Brazilian guys doing amazing, and now be able to inspire them and be like who they're looking up for is amazing.
You know, I'm just like proud of everything we're doing.
I have like my, my kids in my hometown that I'm working them, because we need to build the future.
We need to help them to go faster than we did.
We broke records and expect to be broken one day, so that's the idea, is we break it one day.
Well said.
Al- Allyson, I, we just wanna thank you.
We said this to Karsten.
You, Karsten, Ry, never shying away from competing against one, one another.
You guys are continuing to push this event to bounds that no one thought possible.
Keep it up.
We're excited for what's ahead, and, there's another world record, watch on the track right now, so we're gonna go watch Masai and Toby.
Yeah, boy.
Watch that boy.
They're gonna be crazy.
All the best for all of them, and see you guys around.
Thank you.
Hey.
Crop tops for life.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Crop tops for life.
Emma Coburn, welcome to the Athlete's Lounge, and hello down there in Zurich.
How's it going?
Woo.
Hi.
Hey.
How are you?
Hey.
You're like, "Listen, I, I didn't PB, I didn't, not a season's best," but we love you, and we haven't seen you out here in a while.
We gotta hear what, what the season's been like since we saw you at TrackFest, and, and what it's like to get back out here in a Diamond League race.
Yeah.
After TrackFest I did a, I w- I raced at Prefontaine and, ran 9:15 there, and so I was, I was pleased with that.
It felt like the right step.
And I was on like 9:10 pace for most of the race until maybe the last like 300 or lap.
So that race gave me hope in the future, and then USA's and today are like such turds.
Like- It really makes you have to reevaluate everything.
I worked really hard.
I'm really healthy.
I feel like I take my recovery well.
You know, I yeah, today was terrible, and I felt like I just had a, a, a weight vest slowing me down, getting a pound every, every lap.
So, just something I have to analyze with Joe and, move forward from.
Emma, we, we, we were talking about just right now, we obviously have a great group of women steepers.
But, but you, you were, you're a steeplechase female that has like just been in the mix to win races, win medals.
What does it take for our crop of US steepers to be back in that position that we've saw you in so many times?
You know, I think both Courtney and I just in these races and in, you know, world championship races just kind of went with the leaders and, you know, suffered the consequences.
And sometimes it worked out, like in, in London.
And then other years I went with the leaders, like in 2022, and faded, I think, to like eighth or something.
So you just gotta take the risks.
I feel like these younger steepers are.
And, you know, we see that they're podium or top five at Diamond Leagues.
I still see myself in that world.
Even though I was, terrible today, I think that today was my 40th Diamond League, and I gotta think my slowest.
So, so, you know, those younger girls are, are repping USA well, and and I feel like we'll get another medal for the US steepers in the next five years.
Emma, congratulations just on the breadth of your career, but I'm really, really interested in the, like the psychology of what it takes to have such a long career, and where you started, where you were.
You're winning medals.
You're American record holder.
You're like literally just going back and forth with the best in the world every single time, and everyone around you, it, whether you knew it or not, just always knew we were gonna get kinda greatness out of Emma Coburn when she stepped on the track.
And I'm curious for you psychologically stepping to the line, and stepping to the line this season and prepping, how it's changed.
How, like from- Yeah the world, coming off the world championship, you're winning, and then where you are today, what you're thinking at the line.
You know, there's a, a swagger that you have to either fake it or have it.
And no matter what, whether, whether it's in there or not, you have to stand on that line and tell yourself like, "I'm about to crush these people," you know, "I'm, I'm gonna dominate.
I belong.
I'm great."
So no matter if you're first or last, you have to have that mindset.
And obviously when I was winning medals or winning my 10 US titles, that came more naturally just really knowing that it was the truth.
And then when you have two years away due to injury, and then you're trying to work yourself back into an event when you're 35 that doesn't really have many women over the age of 30 , yeah, you have to, you have to just do a lot of psychology and hyping yourself up.
Oh, yeah.
Well, Emma, we, we appreciate you stopping and talking to us.
I know we're gonna talk to you on, on, on bigger runs.
There's more left in there.
Go.
So enjoy your time in Zurich, and we will be talking with you soon.
Thank you so much.
