/Updated with revised results of the men’s discus/ ~ Now 28, Genzebe Dibaba, Ethiopia’s world-record holder in the 1,500 m, shows no signs of slowing down.
The 2015 World Champion authored a special performance on Sunday, outsprinting Dutch star Sifan Hassan for a world-leading 3:55.47-3:55.93 victory to highlight the Rabat Diamond League meet.
Dibaba took over with about 600 m to go, chased by fellow Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay and Hassan. They were nearly together at the bell, then Hassan became the principal chaser as Dibaba led down the backstraight. Hassan finally pulled even on the final straightaway, but Dibaba had more finishing speed and managed to get to the line first. It was Dibaba’s sixth win in seven match-ups with Hassan over the metric mile.
“I am happy for my performance tonight,” said Dibaba afterwards. “It feels great running in Africa. I am proud for achieving the world leader. This is another special occasion because it is the third time I achieve a WL. Based on my level and performance, I feel ready for the World Championships.”
The 3:55.93 is pretty impressive. It’s the no. 21 performance in history, or more properly no. 10 if you jettison the chemically-questionable Chinese marks from their National Games in 1997. For Hassan, it keeps her as the no. 17 performer all-time, slightly improving on her 2015 best of 3:56.05.
American Jenny Simpson posted a season best of 3:59.83, finishing seventh.
Dibaba’s run was one of three world leads on the day, with one coming in the final race, with fellow Ethiopian Getnet Wale scoring a lifetime best of 8:06.01, shaving 12/100ths off of Kenya’s Ben Kigen’s mark from Rome on 6 June.
The discus was a showdown between Sweden’s world leader Daniel Stahl (SWE) and Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres and when the meet ended, Stahl had the win, reaching 69.94 (229-5) to outlast Dacres’ 69.50 m (228-0). But Dacres protested that his long third throw was not a foul as called, but fair. His protest was upheld and the throw – which had been measured – was reinstated at 70.78 m (232-3), not only the world-leading throw, but a meet record, Diamond League record and national record for Dacres! It also moved him to no. 19 on the all-time list and is the longest throw in a couple of years!
Other highlights included a season best long jump from Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria, who won with 8.34 m (27-4 1/2) over South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga, who reached 8.21 m (26-11 1/4) on his first jump, but suffered a left leg injury and had to be carried off the track. Summaries:
IAAF Diamond League/Meeting Mohamad VI
Rabat (MAR) ~ 16 June 2019
(Full results here)
Men
200 m (wind -0.5 m/s): 1. Andre De Grasse (CAN), 20.19; 2. Ramil Guliyev (TUR), 20.28; 3. Alex Quinonez (ECU), 20.30. Also: 4. Kenny Bednarek (USA), 20.51.
800 m: 1. Nijel Amos (BOT), 1:45.57; 2. Emmanuel Korir (KEN), 1:45.60; 3. Clayton Murphy (USA), 1:45.99.
1,500 m (non-Diamond League): 1. Vincent Kibet (KEN), 3:35.80; 2. Hicham Akankam (MAR), 3:35.85; 3. Alexis Meillet (FRA), 3:35.98.
3,000 m Steeple: 1. Getnet Wale (ETH), 8:06.01; 2. Chala Beyo (ETH), 8:06.48; 3. Benjamin Kigen (KEN), 8:07.25. Also: 5. Hillary Bor (USA), 8:12.08; … 9. Stanley Kebenei (USA), 8:21.25.
5,000 m (non-Diamond League): 1. Edward Pingua (KEN), 13:11.49; 2. Solomon Berihu (ETH), 13:16.08; 3. Soufiyan Bouqantar (MAR), 13:17.26.
110 m hurdles (+0.3): 1. Sergey Shubenkov (RUS), 13.12; 2. Andrew Pozzi (GBR), 13.30; 3. Gabriel Constantino (BRA), 13.41.
High Jump: Bohdan Bondarenko (UKR), 2.28 m (7-5 3/4); 2. Naoto Tobe (JPN), 2.28 m (7-5 3/4); 3. Ilya Ivanyuk (RUS), 2.28 m (7-5 3/4).
Long Jump: 1. Juan Miguel Echevarria (CUB), 8.34 m (27-4 1/2); 2. Luvo Manyonga (RSA), 8.21 m (26-11 1/4); 3. Ruswahl Samaai (RSA), 8.16 m (26-9 1/4). Also: 10. Jeff Henderson (USA), 6.10 m (20-0 1/4).
Discus: 1. Fedrick Dacres (JAM), 70.78 m (232-3); 2. Daniel Stahl (SWE), 69.94 (229-5); 3. Lukas Weisshaidinger (AUT), 68.14 m (223-7). Also: 5. Reggie Jaggers (USA), 64.59 m (211-11).
Women
100 m (-0.6): 1. Blessing Okagbare (NGR), 11.05; 2. Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV), 11.09; 3. Crystal Emmanuel (CAN), 11.30. Also: 9. Mikiah Brisco (USA), 11.47.
400 m: 1. Salwa Eid Naser (BRN), 50.13; 2. Aminatou Seyni (NIG), 50.24; 3. Christine Botlogetswe (BOT), 50.48. Also: 4. Phyllis Francis (USA), 50.76; 5. Jaide Stepter (USA), 51.44; … 7. Kendall Ellis (USA), 51.82.
800 m: 1. Nelly Jepkosgei (KEN), 1:59.50; 2. Habitam Alemu (ETH), 1:59.90; 3. Olha Lyakhova (UKR), 2:00.35. Also: 6. Ce’Aria Brown (USA), 2:01.19.
1,500 m: 1. Genzebe Dibaba (ETH), 3:55.47; 2. Sifan Hassan (NED), 3:55.93; 3. Gudaf Tsegay (ETH), 3:57.40. Also: 7. Jenny Simpson (USA), 3:59.83.
Pole Vault: 1. Sandi Morris (USA), 4.82 m (15-9 3/4); 2. Anzhelika Sidorova (RUS), 4.77 m (15-7 3/4); 3. Katie Nageotte (USA), 4.67 m (15-3 3/4).
Discus: 1. Yaime Perez (CUB), 68.28 m (224-0); 2. Denia Caballero (CUB), 65.94 m (216-4); 3. Sandra Perkovic (CRO), 64.77 m (212-6). Also: 4. Valarie Allman (USA), 64.58 m (211-10).
