ATHLETICS: McLaughlin-Levrone runs 49.11, big wins for Ingebrigtsen, Serem, Alfred, Allman in Diamond League Final day one

Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen wins the Diamond League Final 1,500 m in Brussels (Photo: Diamond League AG)

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≡ DIAMOND LEAGUE FINAL ≡

Chilly, damp conditions in the mid-50s held back performances at the Diamond League Final at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, but there was a lot on the line, as the Diamond League Final pays $30,000-12,000-7,000-4,000-2,500-2,000-1,500-1,000 for the top eight places.

In the much-awaited invitational 400 m, U.S. star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – in full-length tights – was in charge from the start and led from wire-to-wire, winning in 49.11, way ahead of Jamaican Stacey Ann Williams (50.53). It was McLaughlin-Levrone’s first race since the Paris Olympic Games and her world-record win in the 400 m hurdles.

Her race was followed by the Diamond League women’s 400, and Olympic winner Marileidy Paulino (DOM) was also in control, expanding her lead over the last 200 m and winning in 49.45, well ahead of American Alexis Holmes, who roared up from fifth at the turn to get second in 50.32. Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke (IRL) ended up third in 50.96.

Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, second in the race, was disqualified for a lane infringement.

Said McLaughlin-Levrone afterwards:

“Running the 400 m at the end of the season definitely hurts a little bit more and I felt the cramping. That is why I chose to run with long pants, just to be safe. But I felt strong during the race. Now we’re gonna go home, rest a bit and decided tomorrow to run the 200 m or not.”

Christian Coleman of the U.S., the 2019 World Champion, got the best start – as usual – in the men’s 100 m, ahead of countryman and 2022 World Champion Fred Kerley and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake. But Blake came hard in the final third, got the lead and won cleanly in 9.93 (wind: +0.1 m/s), with Coleman at 10.00 and Kerley at 10.01. American Brandon Hicklin was seventh in 10.13.

Blake, the World Indoor 60 m bronzer this year, posted only his third 100 m of the season, out of 14 starts!

Botswana’s Busang Kebinatshipi took the early lead in the men’s 400 m, followed closely by Vernon Norwood of the U.S. and London 2012 Olympic champ Kirani James (GRN). Norwood got to the front around the turn and was leading James in the home straight, when Charles Dobson (GBR) turned on the jets from fourth to win in 44.49, over James (44.63) and Paris bronze winner Muzala Samukonga (ZAM: 44.69). Norwood faded to fourth in 44.78 and Kebinatshipi to seventh (46.43).

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen didn’t medal in the Paris men’s 1,500 m and had been out-dueled in some earlier Diamond League meets, but not this one. He took over by the 1,000 m mark and ran away from a good field in 3:30.37. He was completely in command by the bell and finished in 54.28.

He was tracked most closely by 2019 World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN), 11th in Paris, who was second by 1,200 m and finished there in 3:30.93, just out-leaning a final charge from Paris winner Cole Hocker of the U.S. (3:30.94). France’s Azeddine Habz ran up on the straight to get fourth (3:31.97) as American Yared Nuguse – third in Paris – faded to sixth in 3:32.30.

The question in the men’s Steeple was could anyone beat Paris Olympic champ Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR)? World no. 2 Amos Serem (KEN) and Paris bronze winner Abraham Kibiwot (KEN) were 1-2 at 2,000 m, with El Bakkali moving up to third. Serem was nicely in front at the bell, with El Bakkali and Kibiwot chasing, but Serem hung on and won in 8:06.90, with El Bakkali well back at 8:08.60 and Mohamed Jhinaoui (TUN) coming late for third in 8:09.68. It was El Bakkali’s first loss of the season, and first since 2021 (!), ending a streak of 14 straight finals wins.

A pack of seven was leading the men’s 5,000 m at the 3,000 m mark in 7:42.07, with world no. 2 Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) in front and world leader Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) moving up. In fact, Ethiopia was 1-2-3-4 by 4,000 m, with Telahun Bekele leading, and Tokyo 10,000 m gold winner Selemon Barega in third.

Aregawi had the lead at 4,000, and Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorir had come up the challenge, but Aregawi, Bekele and Kejelcha were 1-2-3 at the bell. Aregawi held the lead with 200 to go and into the straight and fought off a late surge from Gebrhiwet to win in a seasonal best of 12:43.66, with Gebrhiwet at 12:44.25. Bekele passed Kipkorir to get third with a season’s best, 12:45.63 to 12:49.59. Aregawi’s final lap was covered in 54.08.

Paris silver winner Daniel Roberts of the U.S. was out best in the men’s 110 m hurdles, but the race was close, with European champ Lorenzo Simonelli (ITA), Americans Cordell Tinch and Freddie Crittenden and France’s Sasha Zhoya all in the mix. Roberts fell back and Simonelli and Tinch were passed over hurdle nine by Zhoya, who won in 13.16 (+0.4). Simonelli got up for second in 13.22, and Crittenden passed Tinch for third, 13.24 to 13/27. Roberts ended up eighth in 13.44, behind fellow American Eric Edwards (13.35).

Only Paris silver and bronze winners Sam Kendricks (USA) and Emmanouil Karalis (GRE) and Belgium’s Ben Broeders cleared 5.82 m (19-1) in the men’s vault, with world-record holder Mondo Duplantis (SWE) passing. At 5.92 m (19-5), only Duplantis cleared, with Karalis, Broeders and Kendricks finishing 2-3-4.

Now Duplantis went for a meet record of 6.11 m (20-0 1/2) and made in on his first try, then retired. A long season.

The men’s long jump saw Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle, the 2019 World Champion who did not make it out of qualifying in Paris, reached 8.28 m (27-1 3/4) in round two and no one could catch him. No one else even got to 8 m until round six, when Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE) got out to 8.15 m (26-9), only to be edged by Swiss Simon Ehammer, who jumped 8.16 m (26-9 1/4).

Australia’s Matthew Denny won the Olympic bronze in Paris and he made everyone chase him in the men’s discus in Brussels, unleashing a national record of 69.96 m (229-6) in the first round! No one was within 5 m through three rounds, then Lukas Weisshaidinger (AUT) woke up in round four at 66.52 m (218-3) to move to second and Paris silver medalist Mykolas Alekna (LTU) reached 68.86 m (225-11) to move into second in round five. And that’s how it ended, with Denny getting his second national record of the season.

The fourth women’s 100 m match-up of the year between Paris Olympic champ Julien Alfred (LCA) and 2023 World Champion Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S. was all about Alfred. She got out well, along with Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith and American Tamari Davis, but Alfred was pulled away as clear winner at 10.87 (+0.2), followed by Asher-Smith (10.92) and Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV: 11.05), who moved up after 60 m. Davis faded to seventh at 11.21 and Richardson, who got a bad start, was eighth in 11.23. She and Alfred are 2-2 on the season. 

Mary Moraa, Kenya’s 2023 World Champion and Paris bronze winner, took command of the women’s 800 m at the bell, with Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin chasing. On the backstraight, British stars Jemma Reekie and Georgia Bell came up and Bell got to the front at 600 m.

But Moraa cruised back into the lead onto the straight and motored home with a seasonal best of 1:56.56 to win, to 1:57.50 for Bell – the Paris 1,500 m bronzer – in second. Goule-Toppin passed Reekie and got third in 1:58.94; Reekie finished fifth in 1:59.13.

Paris Olympic medalists Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR: gold), Nicola Olyslagers (AUS: silver) and Iryna Gerashchenko (UKR: co-bronze) quickly separated themselves in the women’s high jump, clearing 1.92 m (6-3 1/2). At 1.95 m (6-4 3/4), Mahuchikh sailed over right away, and Olyslagers on her second, but Gerashchenko missed all three and was third. Now to 2.01 m (6-7), but neither could clear, so Mahuchikh claimed another win, on misses.

Cuba’s Leyanis Perez, the World Indoor silver winner in 2024, got out to 14.37 m (47-1 3/4) for the early lead in the women’s triple jump, ahead of Paris silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts (JAM: 14.16 m/46-5 1/2). Ricketts improved in the final round to 14.22 m (46-8), but had to settle for second. Paris bronze winner Jasmine Moore of the U.S. was fifth at 13.89 m (45-7).

World Indoor champion Sarah Mitton (CAN) was the only one to reach 20 m in the women’s shot, at 20.25 m (66-5 1/4) in round three, with two-time World Champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. getting close at 19.90 m (65-3 1/2) in round five. Olympic champ Yemisi Ogunleye (GER) managed 19.72 m (64-8 1/2) for third.

In the women’s discus, Olympic champ Valarie Allman of the U.S. got out in front in the first round at 66.47 m (218-1) and then improved in round three to 68.47 m (224-7) and won easily. Bin Feng, China’s 2022 World Champion, reached 67.49 m (221-5) in the final round to get second, with world leader Yaime Perez (CUB) third at 66.96 m (219-8).

Saturday’s session will be shown live only on the Peacock streaming service, from 1:53 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern. There will be replays of Friday’s meet on CNBC on Saturday from 12-2 p.m. Eastern and Saturday’s session on Sunday from 1-3 p.m. Eastern.

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