★ 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! ★
≡ BRUSSELS DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
The penultimate Diamond League meet for 2025 saw cool, cloudy skies in Brussels (BEL) for the annual Van Damme Memorial, that affected the marks, but with some exciting races and another dominant performance for Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
The women’s 100 m had five-time World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) in lane four, world leader Jefferson-Wooden of the U.S. in five and teammate and 2023 World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson in six. The race was over at the start, with Jefferson-Wooden rolling to the lead and crushing the field in 10.76 (wind: -0.2 m/s), with no one close. Only Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA) has run as fast in 2024.
Richardson was left in the blocks again, but moved up nicely and stormed into second in 11.08, showing acceleration that had not been seen this season. Britain’s Daryll Neita was third (11.15) and Fraser-Pryce was fourth (11.17) and American Maia McCoy was sixth in 11.21. That’s nine wins in a row for Jefferson-Wooden across seven meets.
The American entries had a terrific meet, with five more wins:
U.S. champ Jacory Patterson completely dominated the men’s 400 m, taking over by 200 m, making up the stagger on countryman Vernon Norwood in lane eight. Into the straight, Patterson ran away to win in 44.05, with Norwood in 44.62 and then Britain’s Charles Dobson in 44.81. Very, very impressive on a cool night, about 59 F at his race time.
Australia’s Linden Hall had the lead in the women’s 1,500 m, running with the pacers and taking the bell 20 m up on the field. She was still up 10 m with 200 m to go, but U.S. champ Nikki Hiltz was moving best on the turn. Hiltz had all the speed on the straight and passed Hall with 15 m left and won in 3:55.94, a seasonal best by 0.02. Hall got a lifetime best of 3:56.33 for her brave run in second and Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir, a four-time Diamond League winner this year was third (3:57.35).
American Heather Maclean was 10th in 4:00.54, and Sinclaire Johnson was in a crash in mid-race and finished 12th in 4:18.92.
Olympic silver medalist Anna Cockrell of the U.S. took control of the women’s 400 m hurdles by mid-race and powered into the straight with a clear win in 53.66, jogging to the line, comfortably ahead of Gianna Woodruff (PAN: 53.89 seasonal best).
Seven cleared 4.64 m (15-2 3/4) in the women’s vault, but only 2024 World Indoor winner Molly Caudery (GBR), Olympic champ Katie Moon and Hana Moll of the U.S. cleared 4.74 m (15-6 1/2). Moon and Caudery cleared 4.80 m (15-9) on their first attempts, while Moll had to settle for third, with three misses.
But Moon – in long sleeves thanks to the cold – snaked over 4.85 m (15-11) on her third try and that was enough for the win. Lots of other U.S. entries, with Emily Grove (4.64) in sixth, Sandi Morris in eighth (4.44 m/14-6 3/4), Amanda Moll in 10th at 4.44 m and Gabriela Leon in 11th (4.24 m/13-11).
Two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. grabbed hold of the women’s shot in the second round, getting out to 20.90 m (68-7), more than a meter ahead of two-time World Indoor winner Sarah Mitton (CAN: 19.89 m/65-3 1/4) through round four. Neither could improve and they finished 1-2, with two-time European champ Jessica Schilder third (19.58 m/64-3).
The other Americans, Maggie Ewen (18.80 m/61-8 1/4), Abby Moore (18.58 m/60-11 1/2) and Jaida Ross (18.22 m/59-9 1/2) finished 7-8-9.
There was a lot more, of course:
U.S. star Christian Coleman got off well on the turn of the men’s 200 m, but the race was in the outside lanes, with Alexander Ogando (DOM) in lane seven out-dueling Robert Gregory (USA) in lane six and Udodi Onwuzurike (NGR), 20.16-20.19-20.29 (-0.3). Coleman was fourth in 20.42. Kyree King of the U.S. was seventh in 2066.
A huge field in the men’s 1,500 m, with a lot of eyes on 18-year-old Kenyan star Phanuel Koech and he had the lead at the bell with the field close, with fellow Kenyan Abel Kipsang falling and out of the race on the inside.
It was Dutch star and Olympic finalist Niels Laros moving to Koech’s shoulder with 300 m to go and Laros took over into the final straight, winning convincingly in a seasonal best of 3:30.58. Koech was second in 3:31.41 and then Nuguse came on for third in 3:31.51, passing Isaac Nader (POR: 3:31.77).
Hobbs Kessler of the U.S. finished 14th in 3:36.65. Nuguse was confirmed as qualified for the Diamond League final and can get into the World Athletics Championships if he wins!
Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwot led the men’s 3,000 m Steeple, with Tokyo Olympic fourth-placer Getnet Wale (ETH) close in a bunched field. Wale took over on the penultimate lap, but American Isaac Updike surprised with a sprint on the inside to take the bell!
Wale got the lead again on the backstraight and took the final water jump and led to the final barrier. But Ruben Querinjean (LUX) had the most speed on the run-in and got to the line in a stunning national record of 8:09.47, no. 9 in the world for 2025. Wale was second in 8:09.62 and Updike got a lifetime best of 8:10.59, now no. 9 on the all-time U.S. list.
Fellow American Benard Keter was ninth in 8:16.11, a lifetime best!
In the men’s high jump, only Romaine Beckford (JAM), Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk and Thomas Carmoy (BEL) cleared 2.22 m (7-3 1/4), and Doroshchuk took the lead with a first-time clearance at 2.25 m (7-4 1/2). Carmoy cleared on his third but Beckford went out and finished third. At 2.28 m (7-5 3/4), both missed twice and then once at 2.30 m (7-6 1/2), so Doroshchuk got the win.
Americans Elijah Kosiba (2.18 m/7-1 3/4) and Paris Olympic runner-up Shelby McEwen (2.14 m/7-0 1/4), finished seventh and eighth.
World-record holder Mykolas Alekna (LTU) went right to the front of the men’s discus in round one at 68.82 m (225-9), but it didn’t last as NCAA winner Ralford Mullings (JAM) got off a mighty 69.41 m (227-4) throw in round four to assume the lead. Slovenia’s Kristjian Ceh, the 2022 World Champion, moved up third in round five at 67.13 m (220-3).
In the final round, Mullings went further, to 69.66 m (228-6) and that was the winner, his seventh win in eight meets this season.
German star Julian Weber exploded in the first round of the men’s javelin at 87.01 m (285-5) with the resurgent 2012 Olympic champ Keshown Walcott (TTO) second at 86.30 m (283-2) in round two. Weber got better in round four at 89.65 m (294-1) and two-time World Champion Anderson Peters (GRN) was third at 85.17 m (279-5).
The women’s rarely-seen mile Steeple – a World Athletics test event – was set up for Olympic champ Winfred Yavi (BRN) to try for a world record, and was paced by American Val Constien. Yavi took over with two laps to go and soloed to the finish in 4:40.13, well off the world mark (reported as 4:25). American Angelina Ellis was a distant second in 4:46.74.
The women’s 5,000 m had the wavelights set at world-record pace and Kenyan Agnes Ngetich was on it, with more than 100 m on the field by 2 km. She was second in the world record 5,000 at the Pre Classic, 13:58.06 to 14:01.29, to countrywoman Beatrice Chebet. Ngetich passed 3,000 m in 8:30.74 and 4,000 m in 11:31.06.
The lead was 80 m at the bell and Ngetich ran all alone to the finish at 14:24.99. The rest of the pack had a wild sprint to the finish, with Ethiopians Likina Amebaw (14:31.51) and Aleshign Baweke (14:31.88) finishing 2-3 and then Josette Andrews of the U.S. (14:33.16). Weini Kelati was 11th (14:37.77) and Karissa Schweizer was 13th (14:39.30).
Cuba dominated the women’s triple jump, with Leyanis Perez leading from round one in 14.50 m (47-7), then passed by Davisleydi Belazco in round two (14.64 m/48-0 1/2). She extended to 14.72 m (48-3 1/2), but Perez launched back into the lead at 14.78 m (48-6) in the fifth and that’s the way it ended.
Olympic bronzer Jasmine Moore of the U.S. moved to third in round five at 14.38 m (47-2 1/4) and finished there.
Another World Athletics test event was the Mixed 4×100 m, with the Dutch mastering the man-woman-man-woman passing challenge to win in 40.96, over two Belgian teams (41.16 and 41.69).
Next up: the Diamond League final will be at the Weltklasse Zurich on 27-28 August, with potential World Championships wild card available in all events!
¶
★ 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!
