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≡ DIAMOND LEAGUE SILESIA ≡
There was a lot going on at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzow (POL) on Sunday, most especially two world records for Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis! There were four world-leading marks, and Ingebrigtsen got two in the same race:
● Men/2,000 m: 4:55.21, Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) ~ en route
● Men/3,000 m: 7.17.55, Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) ~ World Record
● Men/Vault: 6.26 m (20-6 1/2), Mondo Duplantis (SWE) ~ World Record
● Women/1,000 m: 2:31.24, Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN)
An all-star cast was assembled for the men’s 3,000 m and Norway’s Ingebrigtsen was on a mission. Yes, he lost the Olympic 1,500 m, but won the 5,000 m and now was looking at a world-record try in Chorzow.
He got the fast pace he wanted and took over at 1,600 m, chased by four Ethiopians, led by two-time World Indoor 3,000 winner Yomif Kejelcha and Addisu Yihune. Ingebrigtsen never wavered, passed 1,600 m in 3:56.0, 2,000 m in 4:55.21 and continued pulling away. Only Paris 10,000 m runner-up Berihu Aregawi was anywhere close, and he wasn’t.
Ingebrigtsen stormed to the finish all alone and won in a sensational world record of 7:17.55 – with a 55.5 last lap – crushing Kenyan Daniel Komen’s brilliant 1996 record of 7:20.67. Aregawi got a national record of 7:21.28 in second, the no. 3 performance in history, with Kejelcha far back in third at 7:28.44. Americans Sean McGorty and Grant Fisher finished 14-15 in 7:42.15 and 7:49.79.
Ingebrigtsen, still just 23, averaged 58.3 per lap for 7 1/2 laps! He now holds the world records in the 2,000 m and 3,000 m, ranks no. 4 all-time in the 1,500 m and no. 3 in the mile. At 23.
In the vault, Duplantis, two-time World Champion Sam Kendricks of the U.S. and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis all cleared 6.00 m (19-8 1/4). Karalis retired, Kendricks could not go higher and Duplantis skipped right to another world-record height of 6.26 m (20-6 1/2).
He missed his first try, but made the second, setting his 10th world record and second this month! Amazing. American KC Lightfoot was fourth at 5.92 m (19-5) and Tokyo silver winner Chris Nilsen was sixth at 5.72 m (18-9 1/4).
Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir was eliminated in the Paris women’s 1,500 m semifinals, but took control of the women’s 1,000 m from the pacesetter and ran away with a world-leading 2:31.24, well ahead of Britain’s Jemma Reekie (2:32.56) and 2023 World 800 m champ Mary Moraa (KEN: 2:33.43). American Nia Akins finished 10th (2:38.30).
Chepchirchir was fast, and her 2:31.24 moves her to no. 11 all-time in the rarely-run kilometer; it’s the fastest in the event since 2020.
Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, eliminated in the semifinals in Paris, got to the lead by 40 m in the men’s 100 m, but was pressed by bronze winner Fred Kerley of the U.S. and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake. All three were close in the final 50, with Kerley getting the lean and the win in 9.87 (wind: +1.9 m/s) ahead of Omanyala (9.88) and Blake (9.89). American Pjai Austin was sixth in 10.06.
It’s Kerley’s first Diamond League win of the season after a second and third in the China meets in April.
Olympic 200 m champ Letsile Tebogo (BOT) was back in action, this time facing Olympic runner-up Kenny Bednarek of the U.S., along with fourth-placer Erriyon Knighton. And Bednarek had the lead coming off of the turn and into the straight, but Tebogo and Dominican Alexander Ogando – fifth in Paris – moved past him with 20 m to go and were 1-2 in 19.83 (+0.6) and 19.86, a national record.
Bednarek had to settle for third in 20.00, with Knighton fourth in 20.07 and fellow American Kyree King at 20.27 in fifth.
The men’s 800 m was an eagerly-awaited re-match of Thursday’s sensational race and Kenya’s Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi was back on the line against runner-up Marco Arop (CAN) once again. This one was different, however, as Arop took over from the pacesetter after the bell and was determined to push the pace. He did and broke away.
He was way ahead of the field into the final turn, with Wanyonyi, Eliott Crestan (BEL) and Wyclife Kinyamal (KEN) chasing. But Arop ran away from everyone, winning decisively in 1:41.86, with Wanyonyi at 1:43.23. American Bryce Hoppel, fourth in Paris, zoomed the straight and moved from seventh to third in 1:43.32, ahead of Crestan (1:43.48) and Kinyamal (1:43.54). World Road Mile champ Hobbs Kessler of the U.S. was eighth in 1:43.97.
Two-time Olympic champ Soufiane El Bakkali (MAR) was right behind the pacesetters in the men’s Steeple, and took over at the 1,600 m mark, ahead of Kenyans Abraham Kibiwot, the Paris bronzer, and Amos Serem. Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu moved up to second at 2,000 m, and those four, with Spain’s Daniel Arce, were the key players at the bell, with Serem, the world no. 2 in 2024, leading.
On the backstraight, Serem continued to lead, but off the last water jump, El Bakkali struck and had the lead for keeps. But it was a battle between the Moroccan and Serem to the line, with El Bakkali winning, as both timed 8:04.29. Firewu, sixth in the Olympic final, came hard in the final 50 m and got a lifetime best of 8:04.34 in third and Kibiwot was fourth in 8:08.21.
Olympic silver medalist Kenneth Rooks of the U.S. had none of his Paris fire and was 16th in 8:35.19; teammate Matthew Wilkinson was 17th (8:40.35).
The men’s 110 m hurdles was once again a re-run of the Olympic final, with gold medalist Grant Holloway and silver winner Daniel Roberts of the U.S. getting out best. But as Holloway led, Paris bronzer Rasheed Broadbell (JAM) came hard to move to second and then for the lead on the run-in. Unlike the finish in Lausanne on Thursday, Holloway got to the line first in 13.04 (+1.1), with Broadbell at 13.05. Roberts finished third in 13.24, just ahead of fellow American Cordell Tinch (13.29).
Norway’s world-record-holder Karsten Warholm was out fast – as usual – in the men’s 400 m hurdles, but he was followed closely by France’s Clement Ducos, the Olympic fourth-placer. Warholm finally got free on the straight and won in a meet record 46.95 to 47.42 for Ducos, a lifetime best and equal-fifth in the world for 2024. Olympic sixth-placer Abderrahmane Samba (QAT) was third at 47.69, a seasonal best.
Four jumpers made 2.26 m (7-5) in the men’s high jump, with Euro bronze winner Oleh Doroshchuk (UKR) over on his first try, as was 2022 World Indoor champ Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR). Tokyo Olympic co-champ Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) took two tries, and Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford – a two-time NCAA champ for Arkansas – took three. But Beckford shot into the lead, making a lifetime best 2.29 m (7-6) on his first attempt, Doroshchuk took two and Woo took three. Tamberi missed once and passed, then took the lead with a first-try clearance at 2.31 m (7-7) that won the day. Beckford, Doroshchuk and Woo were 2-3-4 on misses.
Two-time World Champion and three-time Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs of the U.S. took the lead in the men’s shot in round one at 21.51 m (70-1 3/4) and then extended to 22.06 m (72-4 1/2) in round two. He maintained the lead over Olympic winner Ryan Crouser until round five, when Crouser improved to 22.12 m (72-7) to take the lead. But Kovacs, throwing next, did better at 22.14 m (72-7 3/4) and regained the lead for good. European champ Leonardo Fabbri (ITA) got third at 22.03 m (72-3 1/2), ahead of Paris fourth-placer Payton Otterdahl (USA: 20.95 m/68-8 34).
In the men’s hammer, Olympic champ Ethan Katzberg (CAN) got out to 80.03 m (262-6) in round two, and Paris bronze winner Mykhaylo Kokhan (UKR) got close in the final round at 79.85 m (261-11), but had to settle for second. Tokyo Olympic champ Wojciech Nowicki (POL) reached 76.05 m (249-6) and got third on a better second throw over Paris runner-up Bence Halasz (HUN).
The women’s 100 m, the last event of the day, featured Polish star Ewa Swoboda, the 2024 World Indoor 60 m runner-up and European 100 m silver medalist. But out of the blocks, it was Jamaica’s Tia Clayton, seventh in Paris, who got to the lead over American Tamari Davis. But 2019 Worlds bronze winner Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith (CIV) moved up to challenge Clayton, with both timed in 10.83 (+2.9, wind-aided) and Davis just behind at 10.84.
Britain’s Daryll Neita was fourth in 11.01; Swoboda finished sixth in 11.03. American Jenna Prandini was eighth in 11.07.
The entire Paris podium was in the women’s 400 m, and silver winner Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) was in the lead on the backstraight, with Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke close and Olympic champ Marileidy Paulino (DOM) following. But off the final turn, it was Paulino – as usual – zooming into the lead and running away to win in 48.66, comfortably ahead of Naser (49.23). Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek, third in Paris, went from fifth to third on the straight in 49.95, with Adeleke at 50.00 in fourth. Alexis Holmes of the U.S. was fifth in 50.01.
The women’s 1,500 figured to be a battle between Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, the 2023 World Road Mile champ and countrywoman Freweyni Hailu, the 2024 World Indoor champ at 1,500 m. And at the bell, Hailu surged into the lead, trying to run away from Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka and Welteji. But Welteji had the lead with 200 m to go and did not relent, winning in 3:57.07, with Hailu at 3:57.88 and Britain’s Georgia Bell a close third in 3:58.11. American Cory McGee was 13th in 4:02.79.
The women’s 100 m hurdles saw two-time World Champion Danielle Williams (JAM) take heat one in 12.37 over Paris fifth-placer Grace Stark of the U.S. (12.42), and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent take heat two (12.30) over Alaysha Johnson of the U.S. (12.46). Olympic champ Masai Russell was fifth, but advanced to the final on time.
In the final, Nugent – the Jamaican champion in 2024 – was out best and had the lead, but not by much. She expanded her lead over the last half and got to the line in 12.29 (-0.5), a meet record and her second-fastest time ever. Stark was barely second in a blanket finish in 12.37, with Williams third (12.38), Russell in 12.40, and Johnson in 12.42 in fifth. Americans Keni Harrison and Tonea Marshall finished 8-9 in 12.52 and 12.76.
Four Jamaicans were in the women’s 400 m hurdles to challenge Dutch star Femke Bol and Paris runner-up Anna Cockrell of the U.S. And two-time Worlds bronze winner Rushell Clayton had the lead on the backstraight with Cockrell chasing and Bol fourth. But Bol moved up to second on the turn and had the lead into the final straight over Clayton. But Cockrell came back up on the straight and was second as Bol got a meet record win in 52.13, with Cockrell at 52.88 and Clayton at 53.11. Dalilah Muhammad of the U.S., the Rio 2016 gold medalist, was ninth in 55.99.
Jamaica’s Olympic silver winner Shanieka Ricketts got out to the lead right away in the women’s triple jump, at 14.50 m (47-7) in the first round, with World Indoor silver medalist Leyanis Perez (CUB) moving up to second at 14.42 m 47-3 3/4) in round two. Olympic bronze winner Jasmine Moore of the U.S. was third at 13.80 m (45-3 1/2) from round two, but was bounced to fourth by Italy’s Dariya Derkach (14.02 m/46-0). Moore improved to 13.84 m (45-5) in round five, but finished fourth.
World leader Brooke Andersen of the U.S. took control of the women’s hammer in round three at 76.19 m (249-11) and no one came close. Hanna Skydan (AZE), seventh in Paris, reached 71.82 m (235-7) in round five to secure second, followed by 2023 Worlds silver winner Janee Kassanavoid of the U.S. (70.55 m/231-5) and Paris runner-up Annette Echikunwoke (USA: 70.52 m/231-4).
Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos, at 20 a two-time European silver winner, took control of the women’s javelin right away at 65.60 m (215-3) in round one, a national record! Olympic silver winner Jo-Ane van Dyk (RSA) moved into second in round three at 62.67 m (205-7), and improved in round six to 62.81 m (206-1). Paris bronze winner Nikola Ogrodnikova (CZE) also got her best in round six at 61.84 m (202-11) for third. Maggie Malone Hardin of the U.S. was fourth at 60.81 m (199-6).
Three remaining Diamond League meets, on 30 August (Rome), 5 September (Zurich) and the final on 13-14 September in Brussels.
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