ATHLETICS: Big Diamond League Final 200 m wins for Bednarek, Brown and McLaughlin-Levrone, but Crouser upset in shot put

No doubt about it: a win for “Kung Fu” Kenny Bednarek over Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo in the Diamond League Final 200 m (Omega timing photo).

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≡ DIAMOND LEAGUE FINAL ≡

/Updated/Conditions were once again chilly – about 58 degrees F – for Saturday’s finale of the Memorial Van Damme and the Diamond League Final for 2024, with prize money of $30,000-12,000-7,000-4,000-2,500-2,000-1,500-1,000 on the line for the top eight places.

As expected, the 200 m was a big story, but starting with the men.

Olympic gold-silver winners Letsile Tebogo (BOT) and Kenny Bednarek of the U.S. hooked up again in the men’s 200 m, with Bednarek inside in lane six and Tebogo in seven. They were even off the start, but Bednarek edged ahead on the turn and had the lead on the straight.

This time he held on and won in 19.67 (+0.7) to 19.80 for Tebogo and 19.97 for Dominican Alexander Ogando, who passed Courtney Lindsey of the U.S. late. Lindsey and teammate Fred Kerley were 4-5, both in 20.21, with fellow American Kyree King sixth in 20.45.

It was Bednarek’s first win in six tries against Tebogo, including three losses in 2024, in Paris, and Diamond League seconds in Chorzow and Zurich. Is this the breakthrough Bednarek, 25, has been waiting for? We’ll have to wait to 2025 to find out.

Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala easily won the men’s invitational 100 m at 10.07 (0.0).

Although she had some doubts after Friday’s invitational 400 m win, U.S. superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone lined up for the invitational 200 m and swept into the lead coming out of the turn and raced to a comfortable win in 22.40 (wind: +0.1 m/s). It’s her third-fastest time ever at the distance. She was well clear of Gina Bass Bittaye (GAM: 23.01) and Belgium’s Delphine Nkansa (23.03). American Lynna Irby-Jackson finished fifth in 23.34.

In the Diamond League Final of the women’s 200 m, Paris bronze medalist Brittany Brown was in the lead off the turn and won easily in 22.20 (+0.2), with Britain’s European runner-up Daryll Neita second in 22.45. Anavia Battle of the U.S. passed Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) late to get third, 22.61 to 22.81 and then Ta Lou-Smith was disqualified for a lane violation. American Tamara Clark was sixth in 23.01.

It was down to 52 F by the time of the much-awaited men’s 800 m, featuring Paris medalists Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), Marco Arop (CAN) and Djamel Sedjati (ALG), and Arop had the lead at the bell in 49.28. He continued with Wyclife Kinyamal (KEN) and Sedjati and Wanyonyi chasing. Coming into the home straight, Arop had the lead, but Wanyonyi was coming hard and got to the line first in 1:42.70, with Sedjati also passing Arop for second, 1:42.86 to 1:43.25.

Wanyonyi wasn’t perfect this season, winning six of eight meets, but he was there in the biggest moments and had an astounding four races in the 1:41s. He’s 20, by the way.

In the men’s 400 m hurdles, Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke had the early lead on 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos (BRA), with Abderrahmane Samba (BRN) – sixth in Paris – chasing. But dos Santos took the lead onto the straightaway and pulled away to win at 47.93, with Clarke fading to fifth (49.08) and Samba getting second at 48.20. American CJ Allen was fourth at 48.68.

In the men’s high jump, only European champ Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) and Ukraine’s Oleh Dororshchuk made 2.28 m (7-5 3/4), and both made 2.31 m (7-7) on their first attempts. But only Tamberi could master 2.34 m (7-8), on his third try and got the win. American Shelby McEwen, the Paris runner-up, finished sixth, clearing only 2.12 m (6-11 1/2).

Portugal’s Tokyo Olympic champ and Paris runner-up Pedro Pablo Pichardo wasted no time taking charge in the men’s triple jump at 17.23 m (56-6 1/2) in the first round and then improving to 17.33 m (56-10 1/4) in round two. Germany’s 2016 European champ Max Hess got close at 17.20 m (56-5 1/4) in round three, but could not do better. Hugues Fabrice Zango (BUR), the 2023 World Champion, reached 17.05 m (55-11 1/4) in the final round for third.

In the men’s shot, European champ Leonardo Fabbri found another big throw in his career tear, getting a lifetime best, national record and meet record of 22.98 m (75-4 3/4) in the first round. Fifth in Paris, Fabbri remains at no. 5 on the all-time list.

So the chase was on and triple Olympic champion Ryan Crouser of the U.S. moved into second at 22.55 m (73-11 3/4) in round two, and got closer at 22.79 m (74-9 1/4) in round four. But that was it; Fabbri defeated Crouser for only the second time in 22 meetings, with both wins coming this year.

Paris bronze winner Rajindra Campbell (JAM) got third at 21.96 m (72-0 3/4) and American Payton Ottderdahl was fourth at 21.48 m (70-5 3/4).

Two-time World Champion Anderson Peters (GRB) took the early lead in the men’s javelin at 87.87 m (288-3) in round one, with Paris runner-up Neeraj Chopra (IND) close at 86.82 m (284-10) and then within one cm at 87.86 m (288-3) in round three. That’s the way it ended, with Peters also throwing 87.86 m on his final try!

Germany’s 2022 European champ Julian Weber was third at 85.97 m (282-0).

All three Paris medal winners – Faith Kipyegon (KEN), Jess Hull (AUS) and Georgia Bell (GBR) were in the women’s 1,500 m, with Kipyegon taking the lead after 1,000 m. Closest were Ethiopians Diribe Welteji – fourth in Paris – and Freweyni Hailu, then Hull. Kipyegon held the lead and could not be challenged and won in 3:54.75, with Welteji close behind at 3:55.25 and Hull coming up for third in 3:56.99. Hailu was fourth in 3:57.26 and Bell was seventh in 3:58.95.

Olympic champions Winfred Yavi (BRN: Paris) and Peruth Chemutai (UGA: Tokyo) had the lead in the women’s Steeple after 1,000 m, with Paris bronzer Faith Cherotich (KEN) right behind. Cherotich and Chemutai were 1-2 after 2,000 m, and that way at the bell. Cherotich took the lead with 200 m to go and Yavi closing, but the Kenyan held on and won in 9:02.36 to 9:02.87 over Yavi, with Chemutai third in 9:07.60.

Gabrielle Jennings of the U.S. was fifth at 9:09.89, with Val Constien seventh (9:13.31) and Olivia Markezich ninth (9:27.98).

All eyes were on Olympic 5-10 champ Beatrice Chebet (KEN) in the women’s 5,000 m, who had the lead by 1,600 m. She led through 3,000 m in 8:31.09 with Paris seventh-placer Medina Eisa (ETH) closest. But by 3,600 m, Chebet was firmly in charge and ran away to win in 14:09.82, just behind her world-leading 14:09.52 win in Zurich. Eisa (19) was second in 14:21.89, a World U-20 Record and teammate Foyten Tesbaye third with a lifetime best of 14:28.53. American Karissa Schweizer was eighth with a seasonal best of 14:36.88.

Tokyo Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR) got to the front of the women’s 100 m hurdles race by midway and raced away to a decisive 12.38 win (+0.4). The race behind her was tight between Paris fourth-placer Nadine Visser (NED) and Jamaica’s world leader Ackera Nugent, with Visser timed in 12.54 for second and Nugent third in 12.55. American Grace Stark was fifth in 12.59 and Tonea Marshall was sixth (12.71).

Olympic silver and bronze winner Anna Cockrell (USA) and Femke Bol (NED) featured in the women’s 400 m hurdles, but American Shamier Little – a two-time Worlds silver medalist – was at or near the front through the first half of the race. But around the turn, Bol came on and routed the field in 52.45. Cockrell came up late for second in 53.71, and Shiann Salmon (JAM) passed Little for third. 53.99 to 55.26.

There were five remaining in the women’s vault when the bar went to 4.80 m (15-9) and two-time World Indoor champ Sandi Morris of the U.S. popped over on her first try to take the lead. World leader Molly Caudery (GBR) and Olympic winner Nina Kennedy (AUS) and bronzer Alysha Newman (CAN) made it on their second attempts. But Kennedy was the only one to clear 4.88 m (16-0) and won, with Morris second and Newman third on misses.

Italy’s European runner-up Larisa Iapichino took the lead in the women’s long jump at 6.77 m (22-2 1/2) in round one, and then 6.80 m (22-3 3/4) in round two. Olympic bronze winner Jasmine Moore moved up to second at 6.61 m (21-8 1/4) in round three, but was passed by Olympic teammate Monae Nichols – sixth in Paris – at 6.68 m (21-11) in round four.

Quanesha Burks of the U.S. was fourth at 6.56 m (21-6 1/4).

/Updated/Olympic champ Haruka Kitaguchi took control of the women’s javelin with her 65.08 m (213-6) heave in the second round, but lost the lead to Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos, the 2024 European silver winner, with a sixth-round throw at 65.23 m (214-0). But Kitaguchi responded and won with a final toss of 66.13 m (216-11) in round six! American Maggie Malone-Hardin got third at 62.40 m (204-9).

The Diamond League has concluded, but there are more meets. Of interest is the Athlos NYC, a new, six-event, all-women’s meet in New York on 26 September.

(Thanks to readers Olivier Bourgoin and Alan Mazursky for corrections!)

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