Sad news from Zurich (SUI), with the news that Andreas Brugger, for 27 years the meet director of Weltklasse im Zurich, passed away on 27 December at age 91.
Zurich was already an important stop on the European circuit when Brugger took over in 1973, but he made it into the best invitational meet in the world. His event, held at the Letzigrund Stadium, was always sold out, had the best athletes, the best accommodations, pay and facilities.
The IAAF obituary noted that the Weltklasse was a key player in the “Golden Four” meet series that sold rights to the four best meets in Europe as a package beginning in 1993, and was the precursor to the IAAF’s Diamond League, formed in 1998.
Lats month, Brugger was honored with the President’s Award at the IAAF Athletics Awards Gala to salute his life-long commitment to athletics.
