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≡ STOCKHOLM DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
The meet now known as the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm (SWE) started in 1967, but the anticipation was never greater than when hometown hero Mondo Duplantis is on the vault runaway, possibly looking for another world record on a cool and cloudy afternoon.
He set a world record here in 2025 (6.28 m/20-7 1/4), but he actually missed his opening jump at 5.60 m (18-4 1/2), then cleared on his second try. He jumped into the lead at 5.80 m (19-0 1/4), with four others also clearing, and the bar moved to 5.90 m (19-4 1/4). Duplantis passed and only Australia’s two-time Worlds bronzer Kurtis Marschall could clear – on his third try – and moved into the lead.
At 6.00 (19-8 1/4), Duplantis missed twice, to the dismay of the crowd and then passed to 6.05 m (19-10 1/4). There, he missed and had to settle for second, ending a streak of 40 straight wins, dating back to 2023! Marschall was the unexpected winner, after missing twice at 6.05 and then retiring to celebrate his miracle victory.
U.S. indoor champion Zach Bradford was fifth at 5.80 m; two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. cleared 5.60 m and finished eighth.
Beyond the vault, the meet featured two sensational, world-leading runs in the 800 m:
● Men/800 m: 1:42.70, Cooper Lutkenhaus (USA)
● Women/800 m: 1:53.98, Audrey Werro (SUI)
U.S. wunderkind Lutkenhaus – the World Indoor champ at 17 – was in a star-studded 800 m and was third beyond Canada’s 2023 World Champion Marco Arop at the bell and then moved up to second with 300 m left. Arop stayed in the lead and was in front into the straight, but Lutkenhaus had more in reserve and flew by to win in 1:42.70, fastest in the world outdoors this season, to 1:43.11 for Arop. It’s Lutkenhaus’ second-fastest 800 ever and the no. 6 performance all-time among juniors. Algeria’s Slimane Moula got third (1:43.41) and American Bryce Hoppel was eighth in 1:44.66.
The women’s 800 m had Olympic champ Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) and Rabat Diamond League winner – and world leader – Werro (SUI) facing off and they both knew who to focus on. They settled in behind the pacer, and then Werro took over with 300 m to go. Hodgkinson grabbed the lead into the turn and had the edge coming into the straight, but Werro shot past and won in a sensational 1:53.98, the fastest time since 1983!
It’s the no. 3 performance all-time and Hodgkinson was second in 1:54.33, the no. 6 performer and sixth-fastest performance in history! American Roisin Willis got a lifetime best with a charge down the straight to grab third in 1:57.56, ahead of Anais Bourgoin (FRA: 1:57.68). Fellow Americans Raevyn Rogers (1:57.94) and Sage Hurta-Klecker (1:58.26) finished 7-8.
The U.S. enjoyed four more wins on Sunday:
● Two false starts delayed the men’s 200 m, but it didn’t bother two-time Olympic silver winner Kenny Bednarek of the U.S. He and countryman Courtney Lindsey were out best, with Bednarek slightly in the lead in lane seven off the turn. He was best on the straight and won in 19.87 (wind: +1.0 m/s), to follow up on his 19.69 win in Rabat. Lindsey was passed in the final 30 m by Senisipho Dambile (RSA), 20.10 to 20.24.
● The men’s 1,500 m turned into a showdown between world leader Cam Myers (AUS) and Paris Olympic bronzer Yared Nuguse of the U.S., the Rabat winner. Myers had the lead at 1,000 m and into the final straight, but Nuguse charged past in the final meters and got to the line first in 3:30.11, to 3:30.32 for Myers and 3:30.67 for 2019 World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN). American Vince Ciattei charged down the straight to get fourth in 3:31.63; Hobbs Kessler fell back to sixth (3:31.76).
It’s Nuguse’s sixth-fastest 1,500 m ever.
● World women’s 100 m champ Melissa Jefferson-Wooden was second to Julien Alfred (LCA) in Rome at 200 m, but was fast out of the blocks in the women’s 100 m and stormed to a stirring win in 10.84 (+0.8 m/s) in her first 100 of the season. Britain’s Amy Hunt got a lifetime best of 10.97 in second and Patrizia van der Weken (LUX) was at 11.05 for third. Jefferson-Wooden moves to no. 4 on the 2026 world list.
● It did not take long for Olympic and World Champion Valarie Sion of the U.S. to grab hold of the women’s discus, reaching 68.37 m (224-3) on her opening toss, then 68.60 m (2251) on her second throw. That proved to be the winner, ahead of Worlds silver winner Jorinde van Klinken (NED: 66.57 m/218-5) and 2023 World Champion Lagi Tausaga of the U.S. (65.89 m (216-2).
And there was a lot more:
South Africa’s two-time Olympian Zakithi Nene surprised from lane nine, taking the lead in the men’s 400 m by halfway and holding off a late charge from U.S. champ Jacory Patterson to win, 44.48 to 44.69. Jereem Richards (TTO: 44.87) got third and American Khaleb McRae of the was fourth in 44.94.
World and Olympic champ Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) and world-record holder Lamecha Girma (ETH) were in the men’s Steeple, but Kenyan Tokyo Olympian Leonard Bett and American Matthew Wilkinson were in front at 2,000 m. El Bakkali, who had moved up slowly through the pack, took over with 600 m to go, took the bell and ran away from the field to win in 8:10.40.
Kenya’s Worlds bronzer Edmund Serem passed countryman Abraham Kibiwott, the Paris Olympic bronze winner, for second, 8:12.27 to 8:12.75 and World Champion Geordie Beamish (NZL: 8:13.11) came up for fifth. Wilkinson was eighth in 8:14.27; Carson Williams was 15th (8:25.55) and Paris silver medalist Kenneth Rooks finished 18th (8:29.00).
World leader Alison dos Santos (BRA) led from the second hurdle on and cruised to a 47.12 win in the men’s 400 m hurdles, ahead of fast-closing countryman Matheus Lima’s lifetime best of 47.37, now equal-third in 2026! German Emil Agyekum got a lifetime best of 47.72 in third.
Sweden’s Olympic and World Champion Daniel Stahl thrilled the crowd with a big second throw of 69.60 m (228-4) in the men’s discus, ahead of Australia’s Paris Olympic bronze medalist Matt Denny (69.02 m/226-5). It was Stahl’s only fair throw of the day, but enough to win! Denny stayed second and 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh (SLO: 67.67 m/222-0) was third. American recordman Sam Mattis was fifth at 66.03 m (216-7).
Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom – the world leader – was in front by 800 m and won the non-Diamond League women’s 1,500 m in 4:00.68, just ahead of Canadian Lucia Stafford (4:01.93); American Margot Appleton was fifth at 4:04.92.
Marwa Bouzayani (TUN), the 2025 Worlds fourth-placer, got out to a big lead in the women’s Steeple and simply ran away from the field to win in 8:59.28, just off her 8:58.09 best at the Shaoxing Diamond League, where she was fourth. It’s her third race of the season and third under nine minutes! Elise Thorner (GBR) moved into second with 600 m to go and stayed there, in 9:11.01, followed by Gabi Jennings of the U.S. (9:12.02). Americans Lexy Halladay and Grace Hyde went 8-9 in 9:19.02 and 9:24.19.
World Indoor runner-up Larissa Iapichino (ITA) reached a wind-aided 6.84 m (22-5 1/4) to take the lead in the women’s long jump, but was passed by Worlds fourth-placer Hilary Kpatcha (FRA) in round three with a windy 6.85 m (22-5 3/4). And that’s how it ended! Jamaican Nia Robinson for third at 6.80 m (22-3 3/4) and Monae Nichols of the U.S. was fourth at 6.74 m (22-1 1/2).
American Claire Bryant, the 2025 World Indoor champ, was seventh at 6,69 m (21-11 1/2); world no. 2 Lex Brown finished ninth at 6.62 m (21-8 3/4).
World leader Jessica Schilder (NED) led the women’s shot with her first-round throw of 20.33 m (66-8 1/2) and was never headed. No one else could reach 20 m, but Schilder got out even further on her final try to 20.89 m (68-6 1/2), a distance no one else has reached this season. World Indoor champ Chase Jackson of the U.S. was a clear second with her 19.91 m (65-4) toss in the second round. Americans Abria Smith (18.50 m/60-8 1/2), Maggie Ewen (17.93 m/58-10) and Jaida Ross (17.80 m/58-4 3/4) finished 7–8-9.
Next up on the Diamond League schedule is the famed Bislett Games in Oslo (NOR) on Wednesday, 10 June.
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