HomeAthleticsATHLETICS: Yavi misses world Steeple mark by 0.07, while Americans Crouser, Brown, Cockrell and Davis-Woodhall get wins...

ATHLETICS: Yavi misses world Steeple mark by 0.07, while Americans Crouser, Brown, Cockrell and Davis-Woodhall get wins in Rome Golden Gala

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≡ DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡

So close to a world record at Friday’s Golden Gala Pietro Mennea at the famed Stadio Olimpico in Rome, with Paris Olympic women’s Steeplechase gold medalist Winfred Yavi missing the world record by just 0.07. It was one of two world-leading marks:

Women/3,000 m Steeple: 8:44.39, Winfred Yavi (BRN)
Women/100 m hurdles: 12.24, Ackera Nugent (JAM)

The women’s Steeple saw the Paris podium break away early with silver winner (and Tokyo winner) Peruth Chemutai (UGA) leading Yavi and Paris bronzer Faith Cherotich (KEN), all intent on an ultra-fast race.

Chemutai and Yavi separated from Cherotich with 600 m to go, and Yavi took over at the bell. The two were close, but Yavi had the edge over the final water jump and extended into the straight, winning in a world-leading 8:44.39, with Chemutai also brilliant at 8:48.03! Yavi’s time was just 0.07 off the world record of 8:44.32 and is the no. 2 performance ever; Chemutai moved to no. 3 all-time, with the no. 3 performance!

Cherotich was third in 8:57.65 and American Val Constien, the Trials winner, came up for fourth in 9:04.92. Fellow Americans Gabrielle Jennings and Courtney Wayment finished sixth (9:07.70 lifetime best) and ninth (9:14.46).

Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent crashed out in the Olympic final, but she is making everyone remember her on the Diamond League circuit. After a brilliant 12.29 win in Chorzow last Sunday, she blasted off in the women’s 100 m hurdles, grabbed the lead and took a world-leading win in 12.24, a lifetime best (wind: -0.4). American Masai Russell, the Olympic champ, was closing fast and got second n 12.31 as Dutch star Nadine Visser was third in 12.52.

Americans Alaysha Johnson and Tokyo runner-up Keni Harrison were 5-6 in 12.66 and 12.70. The winning time moves Nugent to no. 4 all-time with another Jamaican record, and with the equal-fourth performance all-time.

One of the two features of the night was the women’s 1,500 m, with triple Olympic champ Faith Kipyegon (KEN) ready for another fast time, with Australia’s Paris silver winner Jessica Hull unafraid to follow.

By the 800 m mark, Kipyegon was in front of Birke Haylom (ETH), Hull and Kenyan Nelly Chepchirchir, and began to stress the leaders by 1,000 m. At the bell, Kipyegon was leading Hull and Haylom and looking strong, moving away from everyone on the straight on the way to a 3:52.89 win.

Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu, the 2024 World Indoor winner, came up on the straight to get second in a lifetime best of 3:54.16, with Haylom, still just 18, also passing Hull for third, 3:54.79 to 3:54.98. Chepchirchir got a lifetime best of 3:56.14 in fifth.

The last race of the night was the men’s 100 m, with Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ Lamont Marcell Jacobs (ITA) and Paris bronzer Fred Kerley of the U.S. and 200 m gold medalist Letsile Tebogo (BOT).

Off the start, it was Tebogo and super-starter Christian Coleman of the U.S., the 2019 World Champion, in the lead, but Tebogo was in front after 60 m and got to the line in 9.87 (wind: +0.3 m/s) for the victory. Coleman was a clear second in 9.92 and Kerley came on the second half to get third in 9.95. Kyree King of the U.S. ran 10.07 for sixth; Jacobs was ninth (10.20). It’s Tebogo’s third Diamond League win since Paris!

But there was a lot more.

Zambia’s Paris bronze medalist Muzala Samukonga dominated the men’s 400 m, getting out strongly and running away from a good field into the home straight and to the finish in 43.99. Behind him, Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori was second around the final turn, but London 2012 Olympic winner Kirani James (GRN) powered down the straight to get second in 44.30, ahead of Jareem Richards (TTO: 44.55), with Ndori fading to fourth (44.56).

Vernon Norwood of the U.S. was fifth (44.71) and Bryce Deadmon was seventh in 44.77.

The men’s 5,000 almost looked like an Ethiopian time trial, with world leader Hagos Gebrihiwet, the Rio 2016 Olympic bronze winner, exchanging places with two-time World Indoor 3,000 m winner Yomif Kejelcha, Tokyo 10,000 m champ Selemon Barega and others. Kenya’s 2022 Worlds silver winner Jacob Krop was also in the mix.

At the bell, it was Telahun Bekele (ETH) leading Kejelcha, Aregawi and Gebrhiwet. Kejelcha took the lead on the backstraight, but Gebrhiwet, fifth in Paris, got to the front with 200 m to go and would not relent. He led into the straight and won in 12:51.07, with Kejelcha a close second at 12:51.25 and Barega at 12:51.39. Krop dropped to fourth in 12:51.55.

European champion Lorenzo Simonelli (ITA) was out well in the men’s 110 m hurdles, but France’s Sasha Zhoya got to the front after hurdle eight and stayed there, winning in 13.18 (+0.4). The fight for second was close, with Asier Martinez (ESP: 13.27) taking it, ahead of 2016 Olympic champ Omar McLeod (JAM: 13.28) and Eric Edwards of the U.S. (13.29). Americans Cordell Tinch (13.34) and Dylan Beard (13.35) finished 7-8. Simonelli finished sixth (13.34).

In the men’s high jump, 2.30 m (7-6 1/2) was the decider, with 2022 World Indoor champ Sang-hyeok Woo (KOR) clearing on his third try, as did Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford – with a lifetime best – but Woo got the win on misses at a lower height. Crowd favorite Gianmarco Tamberi, the Tokyo co-winner, tied for third at 2.27 m (7-5 1/4) with Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk.

Italy’s Olympic bronze winner Andy Diaz grabbed the lead in the men’s triple jump in round two, soaring to 17.32 m (56-10), but could do no better. German Max Hess, the European champ back in 2016, got up for second in round five and then sealed it at 17.01 m (55-9 3/4) in round six.

Triple Olympic men’s shot champ Ryan Crouser (USA) said he felt terrible at the Diamond League meet in Poland, but was in better spirits on Friday, launching his first throw out to 22.26 m (73-0 1/2) and then extending his lead to a meet record 22.49 m (73-9 1/2) in round two. Triple Olympic silver winner Joe Kovacs of the U.S. was out to 21.37 m (70-1 1/2) in the first round to stand second, then improved to 21.62 m (70-11 1/4) in round three.

Italy’s European champ, Leonardo Fabbri moved into second in round three at 21.70 m (71-2 1/2), and then Paris fourth-placer Payton Otterdahl of the U.S. popped into third at 21.63 m (70-11 3/4) in round four, knocking Kovacs out of the final round! And that’s how they finished, with Crouser getting his first Diamond League win of the year.

Jamaica’s Olympic champ Roje Stona showed his Paris win was no fluke, taking the lead in round two of the the men’s discus from world-record holder and Olympic silver winner Mykolas Alekna, 67.85 m (222-7) to 67.68 m (222-0). Stona led into round six, as Alekna and Slovenia’s Kristjian Ceh, the 2022 World Champion, got close in round five.

But on the final throw of the event, Ceh exploded to 68.61 m (225-1) and pulled out the win! It’s his second Diamond League win of the season, after his fourth-place Olympic finish.

The women’s 200 m included Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown of the U.S. and she was in a battle with Britain’s European silver medalist Daryll Neita coming off the turn for home. Brown never wavered and won in 22.00 (+0.4), with fellow American Anavia Battle coming up to grab second over Neita, with a seasonal best of 22.27, to 22.46. Jenna Prandini of the U.S. was sixth at 22.67.

Anna Cockrell of the U.S. was a revelation in Paris, getting the women’s 400 m hurdles silver, ahead of Dutch star Femke Bol. She led from the start in the 400 hurdles in Rome, chased first by Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight, then by Shiann Salmon. But Cockrell was strong to the end and won in 52.59, ahead of Salmon (53.20), with fellow American Shamier Little making a late charge to get third in 54.15.

Five cleared 4.63 m (15-2 1/4) in the women’s vault, led by Olympic champ Nina Kennedy (AUS), bronze winner Alysha Newman (CAN), plus Rio 2016 bronzer Eliza McCartney (NZL) and two-time World Indoor winner Sandi Morris of the U.S. At 4.73 m (15-6 1/4), Kennedy was over, but Morris moved up to second with a first-try make, with Newman joining on her second attempt.

Now at 4.83 m (15-10), Kennedy got over on her second try and Morris on her third, while Newman missed. At 4.93 m (16-2), Morris missed all three and Kennedy was the winner, her third title on the 2024 Diamond League circuit.

Olympic champ Tara Davis-Woodhall of the U.S. was on it from the start in the women’s long jump, taking the lead at 6.93 m (22-9) in round one. Saying beforehand this was her last meet of the season, she extended to 7.02 m (23-0 1/2) in round two.

Fellow American Monae Nichols moved into second in round two at 6.69 m (21-11 1/2) and improved to 6.82 m (22-4 1/2) in round four. Paris bronze winner Jasmine Moore of the U.S. got up to third in round four at 6.62 m (21-8 3/4), but was passed by teammate Quanesha Burks at 6.65 m (21-10) in round five – and then 6.66 m (21-10 1/4) in round six – giving the U.S. a 1-2-3-4 finish.

Davis-Woodhall finished winning all 10 meets this season, including the U.S. indoor and outdoor titles, the World Indoor and the Olympic Games.

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