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≡ LAUSANNE DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
It was raining and wet with temps in the 60s at the annual Athletissima Lausanne, the 13th of 15 meets on the Wanda Diamond League circuit, and while the conditions held down the marks, the intensity was still high.
Take the men’s 800 m, perhaps the hottest event of 2025 and with 2024 Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), 2023 World Champion Marco Arop (CAN) and 2025 World Indoor winner Joey Hoey of the U.S. all in the field.
Once pacer Guy Learmonth (GBR) left after a 49.24 first lap, it was Wanyonyi to the lead in his usual style, but with Olympic finalist Max Burgin (GBR), Hoey and Arop chasing. Around the turn, it was Arop moving well and into the lead and onto the final straight and Wanyonyi in some trouble.
But it was tight and Hoey had the most speed and moved away to win decisively in a surprisingly fast 1:42.82, with Wanyonyi coming on the straight with Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui (1:43.38) and Burgin (1:43.44) in 2-3-4, passing Arop (1:43.91). A real confidence builder in the conditions for Hoey; fellow American Bryce Hoppel was ninth in 1:48.18.
The men’s 100 looked to be great until the rains came, but once the gun went off, It was Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake to the front, then passed by countryman Oblique Seville in mid-race. Olympic champ Noah Lyles of the U.S. made his usual late rush, but Seville got his second Diamond League win this season in dominant fashion in 9.87 (wind: -0.3) with Lyles getting second in 10.02, then Blake (also 10.02). Fellow Americans Brandon Hicklin and Courtney Lindsey were 6-7 in 10.20 and 10.27.
The U.S. scored three wins besides Hoey:
● World leader Cordell Tinch of the U.S. trailed out of the blocks in the 110 m hurdles, with 2022 Worlds runner-up (and fellow American) Trey Cunningham in front. But Tinch was in charge by halfway and Jamal Britt moved past Cunningham for a U.S. sweep in 12.99-13.13-13.19 (+0.3). The fourth American in the field, Dylan Beard, was seventh in 13.30.
● Two-time World Champion Joe Kovacs of the U.S. took the lead in the men’s shot – in the wet conditions – with a 21.47 m (70-5 1/4) in the first round and then improved to 22.04 m (72-3 3/4) in round five for the win and on to the Final in Zurich. World leader Leonardo Fabbri got out to 21.77 m (71-5 1/4) in round five for the lead, but had to settle for second; American Tripp Piperi took third with his final throw of 21.49 m (70-6 1/4). Roger Steen (21.28 m/69-9 3/4) and Payton Otterdahl (21.24 m/69-8 1/4) were 5-6 and national champ Josh Awotunde was ninth at 20.15 m (66-1 1/2).
● Olympic bronzer Brittany Brown of the U.S got hold of the women’s 200 m into the straight and got to the line first in 22.23 (-0.5), with a clear win over Favour Ofili (NGR: 22.31) and Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV: 22.37). Ex-NCAA champ McKenzie Long of the U.S. was sixth in 22.69.
The meet was definitely impacted by the weather and no one was taking chances, but there was plenty of good competition:
Spain’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo injected some speed into the men’s 5,000 m after the 3,000 m mark, but the field was bunched at 4,000 m with Mezegubu Sime (ETH) taking over at the front. At the bell, it was Ethiopia’s two-time World Indoor 1,500 winner Samuel Tefera who had the lead, followed closely by Grant Fisher of the U.S. and Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH).
It was a battle down the backstraight, with Gebrhiwet getting to the lead, but Belgium’s Paris Olympic finalist Isaac Kimeli got to the front into the final straight and stayed there – in pouring rain – winning in 13:07.67, with Fisher second in 13:08.51 and then a fast-charging Eduardo Herrera (MEX: 13:09.50). Tefera was fourth in 13:09.80; Graham Blanks of the U.S. was eighth in 13:12.94.
American Trevor Bassitt, the 2022 Worlds bronzer, had the lead in the men’s 400 m hurdles by halfway, but was under pressure from NCAA champ Ezekiel Nathaniel (NGR), who took the lead on the straight and managed a 48.08 to 48.14 win. Matik Ian Gucek (SLO) was a distant third in 49.23.
The men’s long jump suffered with the rain, as Anvar Anvarov (UZB) managed 7.84 m (25-8 3/4) in round one, trailed by Swiss decathlon star Simon Ehammer at 7.72 m (25-4). Only five jumped in round five and one in round six and the early results stood. Jamaica’s 2019 World Champion, Tajay Gayle was third at 7.71 m (25-3 1/2) and Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE), who never likes to leave without an 8 m mark, jumped just twice with a best of 7.52 m (24-8 1/4) for seventh.
European Indoor champ Lieke Klaver (NED) led the women’s 400 m from the start, but was finally run down by Paris Olympic finalist Henriette Jaeger (NOR) in the final meters, 50.09 to 50.17. Americans Bella Whittaker (50.63) and Alexis Holmes (50.73) were 3-4 and Britton Wilson was seventh in 51.69.
The women’s 800 m was another confirmation of brilliant condition for Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson (GBR), who took over following the bell and ran away from the field over the final half-lap to get a meet record of 1:55.69, slower than her world-leading 1:54.74 in Poland, but faster than anyone else in the world this year! Teammate and Olympic 1,500 m bronzer Georgia Hunter Bell was a clear second in 1:57.55, then Anais Bourgoin (FRA) in 1:58.43. American Addy Wiley was ninth in 1:59.64.
The conditions weren’t so off-putting for the women’s steeplers, with NCAA champ Doris Lemngole (KEN) in the lead at the 1,000 m mark at 3:04.36, and extending her advantage at the 2,000 m mark (6:10.81). She rolled home with an easy win in 9:16.36, with Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew second (9:20.39) and American Olivia Markezich closing well for third in 9:20.73. Courtney Wayment of the U.S. was fifth (9:26.89) and Gabi Jennings was 10th (9:51.03).
Dutch hurdler Nadine Visser, the two-time European Indoor gold medalist, had been showing signs of a real contender in the women’s 100 m hurdles and in rough conditions, got to the lead at midway of the women’s 100 m hurdles and held off Olympic champ Masai Russell of the U.S. in a slow 12.45 to 12.53 (-0.5). Swiss Dita Kambundji was the early leader, but ended up third in 12.54; Alaysha Johnson of the U.S. was sixth in 12.94 and Keni Harrison was eighth in 13.20.
The wet women’s high jump got as far as 1.94 m (6-4 1/4), which no one cleared, leaving Christina Honsel (GER), Olympic runner-up Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) and Maria Zodzik (POL) the tri-winners at 1.91 m (6-3 1/4). Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR) took two jumps (misses) and retired, not wanting to risk injury.
The women’s vault was also torpedoed by the weather, with Lea Bachmann (SUI), Hanga Klekner (NED) and Swiss Angelica Moser tying for the win at 4.35 m (14-3 1/4). Five cleared that height, but the jumping didn’t even finish the attempts at 4.35.
The women‘s javelin belonged to Serbia’s two-time European silver winner Adriana Vilagos from the start, as she opened at 62.83 m (206-1) and finally settled at 63.02 m (206-9) in round three as the winner. Paris Olympic runner-up Jo-Ane du Plessis (RSA) was second at 58.89 m (193-2) in round two in difficult conditions.
Next: the penultimate Diamond League meet for 2025 will be on Friday, 22 August, in Brussels (BEL) for the annual Van Damme Memorial.
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