Rome Meeting
Michael Norman in superb shape
Having already posted a time of 43’’45 on his return to the 400m competition, Michael Norman confirmed he was at the peak of fitness during the Golden Gala on 6 June. We get the low-down on the most striking performances in what was a high-quality Rome meeting.
In 2018, Michael Norman made his IAAF Diamond League debut on the track of the Charléty Stadium, which will once again host the Paris meeting on 24 August 2019. He won the competition in 19’’84. Impressive over a lap of the track, the American is also a highly talented athlete in the short sprint. In Rome, he took the win in the 200m in 19’’70. Not only did he treat himself to the luxury of beating his compatriot Noah Lyles (19’’72), but he also lowered the world seasonal best time over the distance, bagging a new meeting record. Ecuadorian Alex Quiñónez secured third place in 20’’17, ahead of the Turkish world champion Ramil Guliyev (20’’35).
Two hundredths of a second was all that separated Donavan Brazier and Nijel Amos at the finish of the men’s 800m. Nicely tucked in behind the Botswanans, the American stepped things up a gear in the final metres of the race to secure a time of 1’43’’63, a new world seasonal best. Amos had to make do with second place, despite a very good time (1’43’’65), ahead of the Canadian Brandon McBride, who also ran a sub-1’44 time (1’43’’90).
And good things happen in threes. Indeed, it was game on in the much-awaited duel in the 100m between Elaine Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith. The former took the win in 10’’89 (world seasonal best), despite a solid start by the European champion, who was leading up to the 70-metre mark and crossed the line in 10’’95. Aleia Hobbs (United States) secured third place (11’’12) ahead of Marie-José Ta Lou (11’’14).
In the field competition, American Omar Craddock took victory in the triple jump with 17.50m and Swede Angelica Bengtsson cleared 4.76m in the pole vault to win the competition and bag a national record.
Oslo meeting
Warholm imperial on home turf
Norwegian Karsten Warholm posted an impressive performance in front of a home crowd in the Bislett Games, on 13 June, breaking the European 400m hurdles record in 47’’33. The Ingebrigtsen brothers were less successful in the traditional Dream Mile.
While Abderrahman Samba ran 46’’98 in the 400m hurdles at the MEETING DE PARIS 2018, Karsten Warholm looked set to break the European record before fluffing the ninth hurdle. Taking the win in a time of 47’’33 in Oslo, the Norwegian had a fantastic race, shaving a fraction off the best European time, which had been set some 24 years earlier by Stéphane Diagana in 47’’37.
The Frenchman knew that the young 23-year-old would smash his time: “From 2016 it was a given for me that Karsten Warholm would beat my record. I very quickly saw that he had all the ingredients for that. He was kind enough to give me a few years to prepare myself, smiles the former student of Fernand Urtebise. He has always had a fairly offensive style and now he’s also capable of nailing big race finishes. He made the decision to approach the 400m hurdles with power. That’s the logical step forward in this discipline, which is primarily a drag race. He has made good progress with clearing the hurdles and managing the stride patterns, even if it’s not yet perfect. He’s young, he’ll reduce the record further still.”
It will likely be another showstopper on the lap of the track with obstacles at the MEETING DE PARIS 2019 on 24 August at the Charléty Stadium.
Though Warholm dazzled on home soil, Jakob and Filip Ingebrigtsen were ruled by Marcin Lewandoski in the Dream Mile. Indeed, the formidable Polish tactician timed his burst of speed to perfection, moving up three places down the home straight to secure the win in 3’52’’34. Thanks to what are often winning strategies, Lewandoski could drive the 1,500m at the Paris meeting on 24 August 2019.
In a very hotly contested women’s triple jump, Colombian Caterine Ibarguen brought her A game to snatch victory in the triple jump of 14.79m on her fifth attempt. Outperforming the American Orji Keturah (14.53m) and Jamaican Shanieka Ricketts (14.41m), the Olympic champion racked up the best performance in the world this season.
Rabat meeting
A host of records in Morocco
The sixth leg of the IAAF Diamond League gave rise to a string of high-level performances in Rabat on 16 June. With no fewer than five meeting records in the events counting towards the Diamond Race, the Moroccan meeting certainly lived up to expectations.
The spectacular finish in the 110m hurdles, won by Sergey Shubenkov in 13’’12, heralds an eagerly awaited face-off in the MEETING DE PARIS, on Saturday 24 August, during which the Russian will be up against Spaniard Orlando Ortega and Frenchman Pascal-Martinot Lagarde. Despite his fall at the finish caused by Jamaican athlete Omar McLeod, the reigning world champion equalled the meeting record, pipping Briton Andrew Pozzi (13’’30) and Brazilian Gabriel Constantino (13’’41) at the post.
Benefiting from a less domineering Sara Perkovic than in previous discus events, Cuban Yaimé Pérez gained the upper hand ahead of her compatriot Denia Caballero (65.94m) thanks to a throw of 68.28m, a new meeting record. The Croatian ranked third with just a single attempt measuring 64.77m.
There was a similar scenario in the pole vault with victory going to American Sandi Morris, the only jumper to clear 4.82m (meeting record). Russian Anzhelika Sidorova (4.77m) and the other American Katie Nageotte (4.67m) ranked second and third, ahead of Greek jumper Katerina Stefanidi, who was unable to better 4.67m on her second attempt.
In the 3,000m steeplechase, Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali was expected to take victory on home soil, but ultimately it was Ethiopian Getnet Wale, who pulled out all the stops to take the win in 8’06’’01. He beat compatriot Chala Beyo (8’06’’48) in the sprint and secured a new national record together with world seasonal best.
Stanford meeting
Rai Benjamin posts a world best
The American IAAF Diamond League meeting, relocated to Stanford due to work on the stadium in Eugene, fulfilled expectations on 30 June. Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan beat the European record in the 3,000m, with an equally stellar performance for American Rai Benjamin in the 400m hurdles.
Rai Benjamin has never participated in the Paris meeting in his favourite event (he did take the start of the 200m in 2018), contrary to one of his direct rivals, Abderrahman Samba, the world’s top performer to date. And yet, the American took victory in the 400m hurdles in Stanford in a time of 47’’16, synonymous with the new world seasonal best, ahead of Kyron McMaster (48’’94) and Yasmani Copello (49’’37).
Victorious in the 800m during the first leg of the Diamond League in Doha, and very close to her personal best in 1’54’’98, Caster Semenya continued on with her string of victories. For her first 800m in the Diamond League since her ‘super-provisional’ authorisation to compete issued by the Swiss Supreme Court, she won the race in 1’55’’70, streaks ahead of Americans Ajee Wilson (1’58’’36) and Raevyn Rogers (1’58’’65).
In the 110m hurdles, Wilhem Belocian confirmed his consistency. Second behind Spaniard Orlando Ortega (13’’24) he nailed the same time as the Jamaican Olympic champion and world champion, Omar McLeod.
Among the throwers, Brazilian Darlan Romani broke the Diamond League record by one centimetre after propelling his shot put some 22.61m. The performance was also synonymous with a personal best and a national record. He took the win ahead of American Ryan Crouser (22.17m) and New Zealander Tomas Walsh (21.76m) now the second best performer in the world.
