★ The Sports Examiner: Chronicling the key competitive, economic and political forces shaping elite sport and the Olympic Movement.★
★ To get the daily Sports Examiner Recap by e-mail: sign up here! ★
≡ POLAND DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
Quality was everywhere at the Skowlimoska Memorial Diamond League Silesia in Chorzow (POL), with a near-miss on a world record that hasn’t been touched in decades. There were four world-leading performances at the meet.
● Men/400 m hurdles: 46.28, Karsten Warholm (NOR)
● Women/800 m: 1:54.74, Keely Hodgkinson (GBR)
● Women/3,000 m: 8:07.04, Faith Kipyegon (KEN)
● Women/400 m hurdles: 51.91, Femke Bol (NED)
First and foremost was the world-record attempt in the women’s 3,000 m, as Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon ran behind pacesetters Sage Hurta-Klecker of the U.S. and Paris 1,500 m runner-up Jessica Hull (AUS). They had to run essentially 65 seconds a lap to approach the approved (but dubious) world mark of 8:06.11 by Junxia Wang (CHN) from way back in 1993. The closest anyone had come was Kenya’s 5,000-10,000 Olympic champ Beatrice Chebet at 8:11.56 in May.
Hull left after 2,000 m in 5:25.18 and then Kipyegon was on her own and she was up for the challenge, passing the bell alone and charging over the final lap and came up just short at 8:07.04! It’s the no. 2 time ever and closer than anyone has been to the Wang mark.
The laps: 65.08, 64.93, 65.30, 64.89, 66.40, 65.34 and 63.03. Kipyegon said afterwards she was following the pace lights and straining, and she covered her final 400 in 62.90!
Ethiopia’s Likina Amebaw was a distant second in 8:34.53. Americans Karissa Schweizer (8:40.35) and Ella Donaghu (8:42.91) finished ninth and 11th.
The women’s 1,500 m was a half-hour later, with Ethiopia’s two-time World Indoor champ Gudaf Tsegay in front by 800 m and running away, up by 40 m at the bell. The lead was down to 25 m by the time she got to the final straight and she powered in at 3:50.62, the no. 2 time of the year, only behind Kipyegon’s world record of 3:48.68. It’s Tsegay’s second-fastest 1,500 ever and the no. 8 performance of all time; she finished with a 62.93 final 400 m.
Behind her was Kenyan star Chebet, who destroyed her lifetime best at 3:54.73 (now no. 21 all-time), then Olympic bronze winner Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR: 3:56.00) and American champ Nikki Hiltz (3:56.10), with the no. 7 performance all-time U.S. Fellow American Heather Maclean was eighth with a lifetime best of 3:57.79.
The women’s 800 m was all about Olympic champ Kelly Hodgkinson (GBR) – who had not run since Paris due to injury – with a fast pace of 56.09 at the bell. Hodgkinson rolled into the lead on the second lap and ran away and won in dominant fashion in a world-leading 1:54.74, way ahead of Lilian Odira (KEN: 1:56.52); American Raevyn Rogers got fourth in 1:57.52.
Dutch star Femke Bol, the reigning World Champion, ran away from the field in the women’s 400 m hurdles, extending her lead impressively on the home straight and winning in a world-leading 51.91, with Emma Zapletalova (SVK: 53.58) in second and Jasmine Jones of the U.S. in third at 53.64.
The men’s 400 m hurdles had Tokyo Olympic champ Karsten Warholm (NOR), but he didn’t blast off in his normal style. He had the lead heading into the final straight, and then he took off and won in a brilliant, world-leading 46.28, not just the world leader, but a Diamond League record and the no. 3 performance of all-time! Wow!
NCAA champion Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR) was a clear second in a lifetime best of 47.31 – no. 5 in the world for 2025 – then Abderrahmane Samba (QAT: 47.34) and Americans Chris Robinson (48.09) and Trevor Bassitt (48.37).
Those were just the headlines; there was a lot more!
● The much-anticipated men’s 100 m was all Kishane Thompson (JAM) from the gun, and he had control of the race by 35 m. But Olympic champ Noah Lyles – now with golden hair, which he says will be his Tokyo Worlds hair color – of the U.S. was coming hard at the end and was close, 9.87 to 9.90 (wind: +0.3 m/s). Following were Americans Kenny Bednarek (9.96), Christian Coleman (9.96), Trayvon Bromell (9.97) and Courtney Lindsey (10.05).
Lyles said afterwards he was emphasizing his drive phase today – he was pleased – and was looking for more race sharpness.
● The women’s 100 had world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the U.S. and World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson, but it was all Jefferson-Wooden. She was out well, got to full speed beautifully and ran away – unchallenged – to a 10.66 win (+0.1), just 1/100th off her world lead. Jamaica’s Tia Clayton got a lifetime best of 10.82 in second, then Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV: 10.87). Americans Jacious Sears (11.00) and Richardson (11.05) finished sixth.
● In the men’s 1,500 m, Australia’s Olli Hoare led at the bell and had a 5 m lead on the field, but fellow Australian Cam Myers and American Yared Nuguse were moving up along with Norway’s Worlds bronzer Norve Nordas.
Nuguse got to the lead after the bell and led into the final straight and held on to win in 3:33.19, an important victory for him to try and get into the Diamond League Final and into the World Championships. Behind him was a pack in full sprint, with Kenya’s Tim Cheruiyot moving up on the inside in the final 20 m for second in 3:33.35, then Nordas (3:33.41); Americans Josh Hoey (3:33.75) and Hobbs Kessler (3:34.14) finished fifth and seventh. Nuguse covered his last 400 in 53.0!
● The men’s 110 m hurdles was a U.S. sweep, with world leader Cordell Tinch getting to the line first in 13.03 (-0.5), just ahead of Olympic champ Grant Holloway (13.13) and Eric Edwards (13.20).
● In the vault, five jumped at 6.00 m (19-8 1/4), but only Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis cleared on his first try as did world-record man Mondo Duplantis (SWE). Both missed their first tries at 6.10 m (20-0), but Duplantis got over on his second, while Karalis missed all three. The bar went up to 6.20 m (20-4), with Duplantis missing his three attempts.
Two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. tied for fifth at 5.90 m (19-4 1/4).
● American Olympic fourth-placer Payton Otterdahl won the men’s shot in the fifth round, getting out to 22.28 m (73-1 1/4) to pass world leader Leonardo Fabbri (ITA: 22.10 m/72-6 1/4). Two-time World Champion Joe Kovacs of the U.S. was third at 21.82 m (71-7 1/4), and Tripp Piperi got fifth at 21.69 m (71-2).
● Olympic runner-up Bence Halasz (HUN) got his second win over Paris champ Ethan Katzberg (CAN) in a week in the men’s hammer, blasting 81.77 m (268-3) in the second round, with Katzberg at 79.30 m (260-2) in round five for second.
● In the men’s javelin, Kenya’s 2015 World Champion Julius Yego, now 36, got out to 83.60 m (274-3) in round three, and that held up! Keshorn Walcott (TTO: now 32), the 2012 Olympic champ, moved into second on his final throw, reaching 82.54 m (270-9).
● Jamaica’s two-time World Champion Shericka Jackson was the headliner in the women’s 200 m, but Britain’s Daryll Neita had the lead around the turn. But Jackson emerged in the middle of the track, chased hard by Olympic bronzer Brittany Brown of the U.S. Jackson had to lean to win in a seasonal best of 22.17, with Brown at 22.21, then Favor Ofili (NGR: 22.25). Jenna Prandini of the U.S. was seventh in 22.78.
● Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM) was a clear winner in the women’s 400 m in 49.18, ahead of world leader Salwa Eid Naser (49.27); American Alexis Holmes was sixth in 50.18.
● The women’s 100 m hurdles was wild, with the heats won in 12.34 (-0.6) by Ackera Nugent (JAM) and a fast 12.28 (+1.1) by Olympic fourth-placer Nadine Visser (NED), a national record!
In the final, Visser got out and was in front by halfway, but hit the seventh and eighth hurdles and Olympic champ Masai Russell of the U.S., who was coming on, blew by and won in a Diamond League record of 12.19 (+1.4; equal-3rd performance all-time), with fellow American Tonea Marshall getting a lifetime best of 12.24 (equal-7th all-time, equal-5th all-time U.S), then world-record holder Tobi Amusan (NGR: 12.25). Americans Alia Armstrong (12.32, lifetime best) and Keni Harrison (12.41) went 5-6 with Visser fading to 12.60 in eighth. Yowsah!
● Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore of the U.S. got to the lead in the women’s long jump in round two, lost it to Hilary Kpatcha (FRA: 6.83 m/22-4 3/4) in round three, but won at 6.85 m (22-5 3/4) in round five. World Indoor winner Claire Bryant of the U.S. was the round-one leader, then had four fouls, then matched Kpatcha in the sixth, but had to settle for third off the back-up jump. Fellow American Quanesha Burks was fifth in 6.65 m (21-9 3/4).
● Women’s Olympic hammer champ Cam Rogers (CAN) won at 75.39 m (247-4) in round two; American Rachel Richeson was fourth (71.70 m/235-3) and Brooke Andersen (69.99 m/229-7) was fifth.
¶
Three women’s field events were held in the city center of Katowice on Friday, with Olympic champ and world-record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) facing runner-up Nicola Olyslagers (AUS). Both cleared 1.97 m (6-5 1/2), but Mahuchikh cleared 2.00 m (6-6 1/4) on her second try and that proved to be the winner. Charity Hufnagel of the U.S. was fifth at 1.88 m (6-2).
France’s Marie-Julie Bonnin, the 2025 World Indoor winner, took the women’s vault at 4.70 m (15-5), beating Hanga Klekner (HUN) and Americans Brynn King and Hana Moll of the U.S., all at 4.60 m (15-1). Two-time European champ Jessica Schilder (NED) won the women’s shot at 19.66 m (64-6) on her third throw, ahead of German Olympic winner Yemisi Ogunleye (19.50 m/63-11 3/4) and Maggie Ewen of the U.S. at 19.49 m (63-11 1/2).
The Diamond League will conclude in a blur, with meets on Wednesday (20th) in Lausanne (SUI), the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels (BEL) on Friday (22nd) and then the finale at the Weltklasse Zurich on 27-28 August.
¶
★ Receive our exclusive, weekday TSX Recap by e-mail by clicking here.
★ Sign up a friend to receive the TSX Recap by clicking here.
★ Please consider a donation here to keep this site going.
For our updated, 699-event International Sports Calendar for 2025, 2026 and beyond, by date and by sport, click here!
