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Headline results of noteworthy competitions around the world:
● Athletics ● The most endangered world record on the track right now has to be Kevin Young (USA) and his 46.78 from the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona in the 400 m hurdles. On Sunday’s Bauhaus Galan Wanda Diamond League meet in Stockholm’s spectator-free Olympic Stadium, Norwegian star Karsten Warholm should have taken it for his very own.
Riding an eight-meet win streak over two seasons, Warholm rocketed out of the blocks from lane eight and flew away from the field immediately. He ran all alone coming around the final turn, but he was tiring from the pace and the wind inside the stadium and clipped the final hurdle, slowing him to the finish in … 46.87!
No doubt he would have had the record if not for his stumble (and if there had been a crowd to cheer him on), but it’s the no. 2 performance ever and Warholm now claims the nos. 2, 3, 10 and 11th-fastest races in history. His 46.87 was a European Record, of course, as well as a Diamond League record.
Warholm won the race by a stunning 2.23 seconds over France’s Wilfried Happio (49.14), who summed up the race for everyone other than Warholm later:
“It was very windy out there today. For us Warholm doesn’t exist! There is a lot of work to do to improve my times and compete against Warholm. Warholm has been running for 5 weeks so he is a little tired; however today was a good track and good conditions for him.”
American David Kendziera ran a season’s best for fifth in 49.47.
Warholm wasn’t done, however! He came back to run the flat 400 m 94 minutes later. Again in lane eight, he took a more conservative approach, starting slowly, but came on to the lead with about 150 m to go and cruised home to win in 45.05. Slovenia’s Luka Janezic was second in 45.85.
For Warholm, it’s his third-fastest 400 m ever – his lifetime best is 44.87 from 2017 – and it has to be the best-ever, one-day 400/400H double, right? All of this at age 24. Wow!
There were other events as well; highlights:
● Men/800 m: After a fast opening lap by Slovenia’s Zan Rudolf in 49.90, the trio of Marco Arop (CAN), Swede Andreas Kramer and American star Donavan Brazier took the first three spots. It stayed that way into the home straightaway and Brazier turned on the afterburners to collect another Diamond League win in 1:43.76, well ahead of Arop (1:44.67) and Kramer (1:45.04). Said Brazier:
“Given the way I felt, I’d give myself a good grade; I don’t know if my coach would! Since I’ve been in Europe I’ve kind of been having problems with my foot, so I’m very pleased with that [win].”
● Men/1,500 m: Here was the much-anticipated rematch of Kenya’s World Champion Tim Cheruiyot and Norway’s new European record holder Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Cheruiyot once again stayed at the front, just behind pacesetter Tim Sein (KEN), then took over with a lap to go.
Cheruiyot maintained the lead from Ingebrigtsen, Australia’s Stewart McSweyn and Jesus Gomez (ESP), and was never headed. He out-lasted Ingebrigtsen, 3:30.25-3:30.74, extending his lead in the final meters, with McSweyn third (3:31.48, a lifetime best) and Gomez fourth (3:33.46). American Craig Engels was sixth in 3:37.55. Cheruiyot ran his last 400 m in 55.55 to score his 10th straight 1,500 m/mile win.
● Men/Pole Vault: Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis was the attraction, and won easily, clearing 5.73 m (18-9 1/2) on his first try. Sam Kendricks of the U.S. missed three times at that height, and Ben Broeders (BEL) was second with a third-try clearance. Duplantis cleared 5.83 m (19-1 1/2) on his first try, while Broeders missed three times. Now the winner, Duplantis cleared 6.01 m (19-8 1/2) on his first try – the outdoor world leader for 2020 – and went right to 6.15 m (20-2) to try for the best-ever jump outdoors, but missed three times.
● Men/Long Jump: In the odd “final three” experiment, exactly what the critics warned of happened. South Africa’s Ruswahl Samaai was the favorite and got out to 8.07 m (26-5 3/4) on his first jump, but the leader at the end of five rounds was Swede Thobias Montler at 8.13 m (26-8 1/4), who jumped that distance twice (once windy, once legal wind). But the winner was whomever had the longest jump in the final round and Samaai got out to 8.09 m (26-6 1/2) and Montler, 8.06 m (26-5 1/2), with Kristian Pulli (FIN) third with a foul (8.02 m/26-3 3/4 earlier). Said an exasperated Montler:
“I’m happy with my four times over 8 m, but I’m not so happy with the competition system!”
● Men/Discus: Sweden’s Daniel Stahl was the heavy favorite coming in and left no doubt with his second-round screamer that got out to 69.17 m (226-11). His countryman Simon Pettersson, having his best season ever, scored another lifetime best for second at 67.72 m (222-2) with 2017 World Champion Andrius Gudzius (LTU) third at 66.80 m (219-2).
● Women/100 m: Swiss Alja del Ponte made in two in a row in the Diamond League, winning this time in 11.20 (wind +1.3) over Marije van Hunenstijn (NED: 11.28), with Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) third in 11.32.
● Women/400 m: American Wadeline Jonathas continued her strong running this season with a win in 51.94, well ahead of Britain’s Laviai Nielsen (52.16).
● Women/800 m: Britain’s Jemma Reekie won impressively in 1:59.68, taking the lead with 200 m to go. American Raevyn Rogers was second with a season’s best of 2:01.02.
● Women/1,500 m: British stars Laura Muir, Laura Weightman and Melissa Courtney-Bryant swept the top three places in 3:57.86 (world leader and he sixth-fastest ever), 4:01.62 and 4:01.81. Muir took over at the bell and maintained per lead to the finish, clocking the final 400 m in 59.86. American Shannon Rowbury got another seasonal best in sixth at 4:03.04.
● Women/High Jump: The Ukrainian duo of Yuliya Levchenko and Yaroslava Mahuchikh continued their seasonal duel, with Mahuchikh equalling Levchenko’s world-leading mark of 2.00 m (6-6 3/4) on her final trial to win. Levchenko cleared 1.98 m (6-6) for second.
● Women/Long Jump: The “final three” experiment here saw Sweden’s Khaddi Signia lead with a lifetime best of 6.83 m (22-5) after five rounds. But in the final round, 2019 Worlds silver medalist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (UKR) reached 6.85 m (22-5 3/4) for the win, with Rio Olympic triple jump champ Caterine Ibarguen (COL) jumping 6.61 m (21-8 1.4) for second and Signia finishing third, jumping only 5.73 m (18-9 3/4) on her final try.
Not as embarrassing as the men’s long jump, but still kind of silly. Complete results can be found here.
¶
There was one other World Cup event of note on the weekend, in Sport Climbing, for Lead only, held in Briarcon, France. World Champion Adam Ondra (CZE) won the men’s division, reaching the top, just ahead of Domen Skofic (SLO: 41) and Austria’s Worlds bronze medalist, Jakob Schubert (38+). It’s Ondra’s 23rd career World Cup win.
Italy’s Laura Rogora, 19, upset World Champion Janja Garnbret (SLO) in women’s Lead, as both reached the top. Regora had a better semifinal score for the tie-breaker, and her first-ever World Cup win (and World Cup medal). France’s Fanny Gibert was third.