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≡ DIAMOND LEAGUE ≡
Two world-record attempts at the annual Weltklasse Zurich fell short, but both the men’s 1,500 m and women’s 5,000 m were thrilling in different ways, and U.S. Olympic medalists Grant Holloway, Ryan Crouser and Sha’Carri Richardson all scored wins.
The only world-leading mark was the women’s 5,000 m, with Paris 5,000-10,000 m winner Beatrice Chebet (KEN) taking a world-record shot and tucking right behind the pacesetters. The Kenyan star was already moving away at 2,000 m, with Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye and world leader Tsigie Gebreselama trailing … and falling further and further behind. Chebet passed 3,000 m in 8:25.72, ahead of world-record pace and 4,000 m in 11:19.16, just 0.73 up on Ethiopian Guday Tsegay’s record run in 2023 (14:00.21).
Now the record chase was on, and at the bell, Chebet was all alone, as was Taye in second, followed by Gebreselama and American Elise Cranny. Chebet charged hard, but came up short in 14:09.52, the world leader for 2024 and the no. 7 performance ever. Chebet ran 65.3 for her final 400, but it wasn’t enough.
Taye was second in 14:28.76, followed by Gebreselama in 14:39.05. Further back, Cranny faded and fellow American Karissa Schweizer came up for fourth in 14:47.70. Cranny was eighth in 14:54.33 and Whittni Morgan was ninth in 14:54.89.
The men’s 1,500 m was a clear world-record attempt, with new World Road Mile record holder Elliott Giles (GBR) hired to lead at 1,200 m in 2:46.3, the same pace as Hicham El Guerrouj (MAR) in his 1998 record run of 3:26.00.
The 800 m was reached in 1:51.17, on schedule, with Giles leading Norway’s Tokyo 2020 champ Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Yared Nuguse of the U.S., 2023 World Champion Josh Kerr (GBR) and Paris winner Cole Hocker of the U.S. through 1,000 m.
Ingebrigtsen took over past the 1,000 m, with Nuguse, Kerr and Hocker trailing and the Norwegian star was in front with 200 m left, but with Nuguse closing. And on the straight, Nuguse powered by and won in 3:29.21, with Ingebrigtsen at 3:29.52. Hocker was third at 3:30.46 and Niels Laros (NED) passed Kerr for fourth, 3:31.23 to 3:31.46.
The 3:29.21 is the no. 6 performance in U.S. history and Nuguse now has five of the top six. It’s Nuguse’s second win over Ingebrigtsen after five straight losses: first in Paris (3rd vs. 4th) and now in Zurich, so they’re 5-2 all-time for the Norwegian.
Another feature was the women’s 100 m, with five of the Paris finalists back in action. Off the start, 2019 World 200 m champ Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) was out best, followed by Paris seventh-placer Tia Clayton. Asher-Smith led for most of the race, but then Olympic silver winner Richardson of the U.S. got the lead, chased by Paris champ Julien Alfred (LCA).
This time, Richardson had the edge and kept it, getting to the line in 10.84 (wind: +0.1 m/s) to get the win, with Alfred at 10.88 and Asher-Smith at 10.89. Tamari Davis of the U.S. was fifth in 11.06 and Clayton was sixth in 11.09.
It’s Richardson’s second Diamond League win of the year – also at Pre – where she also defeated Alfred.
The men’s 200 m was another test for Olympic winner Letsile Tebogo (BOT), with runner-up Kenny Bednarek a lane outside of him in seven and Paris fourth-placer Erriyon Knighton of the U.S. in five. Off the start, Bednarek and Courtney Lindsey of the U.S. were off well, along with Knighton. But on the straight, Tebogo picked everyone off, one by one and passed Bednarek last in the final 10 m to win in 19.55 (wind: +0.4 m/s) over Bednarek’s lifetime best of 19.57. Knighton was third in 19.79, just ahead of Paris 100 m bronze winner Fred Kerley (19.81). Lindsey finished sixth in 20.17.
Olympic silver winner Daniel Roberts of the U.S. got to the first hurdle in front of Olympic champ Holloway, but Holloway took over from there, in front by hurdle three and on the way to an impressive 13.01 win (wind: -0.3 m/s). Behind him, Roberts faded and France’s Sasha Zhoya moved up swiftly at hurdle nine, getting second in a lifetime best of 13.10, ahead of Olympic sixth-placer Freddie Crittenden of the U.S. (13.15). Tokyo 2020 winner Hansle Parchment (JAM: 13.18) and Roberts (sixth) received the same time.
Later, the time was re-read and rounded down to 12.99, giving Holloway six sub-13s this season alone, and 12 for his career! That’s believed to be the most ever (he’s still just 26).
The men’s 400 m hurdles was odd from the start as Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ and Paris runner-up Karsten Warholm did not start, citing a hamstring injury after his defeat by vaulter Mondo Duplantis in the 100 m match race on Wednesday. France’s Clement Ducos got out best, chasing by Jamaican Roshawn Clarke, who took over by the sixth hurdle.
Clarke, who did not finish in the Olympic final, stormed home in a seasonal best of 47.49, with Qatar’s Abderrahmane Samba – sixth in Paris – second in 47.58, also his 2024 best and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi third (48.01). Ducos was fourth (48.02), ahead of American CJ Allen (48.20). Favored Alison dos Santos (BRA), the 2022 World Champion, did not finish, stopping after the sixth hurdle.
Duplantis, the 100 m winner on Wednesday, did show up in the non-Diamond League men’s vault, and the event was down to he and two-time World Champion and Paris runner-up Sam Kendricks of the U.S. after both cleared 5.82 m (19-1). But neither could go higher and Duplantis won off of fewer misses at a lower height. Australia’s Kurtis Marschall was third at 5.72 m (18-9 1/4) and Tokyo 2020 runner-up Chris Nilsen was fourth at 5.62 m (18-5 1/4).
Olympic silver winner Wayne Pinnock (JAM) got out to 8.18 m (26-10) in the second round to take the lead in the men’s long jump. Two-time Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou finally got close in round five at 8.02 m (26-3 3/4), but could do no more. Swiss Simon Ehammer got third at 7.98 m (26-2 1/4).
Triple Olympic champ Crouser of the U.S. got out in front in the men’s shot with his first-round throw of 21.87 m (71-9) and then improved to 22.66 m (74-4 1/4) in round two and that was it. European champ Leonardo Fabbri moved up to second in round five at 21.78 m (71-5 1/2) and improved to 21.86 m (71-8 3/4) in round six. American Payton Otterdahl got out to 21.38 m (70-1 3/4) in round five for third; world leader Joe Kovacs, the Paris silver medalist, was fourth at 21.90 m (68-7).
Two-time World Champion Anderson Peters (GRN) took the early lead in the men’s javelin at 84.98 m (278-10) in round three, ahead of 2022 European champ Julian Weber (GER: 83.67 m/274-6). Both improved in round four, with Peters at 85.72 m (281-3) and Weber out to 85.33 m (279-11). That’s how it ended.
Kenya’s 2023 World Champion and Paris bronze medalist Mary Moraa was the favorite in the women’s 800 m and ran like. Shafiqua Maloney (VIN) – fourth in Paris – took the lead after the bell and onto the backstraight. But Moraa moved smoothly into the lead with 200 to go and led around the turn, then moving away to a clear win in 1:57.08. Behind her, American Addy Wiley was second coming into the straight, but Britain’s Georgia Bell, the Paris women’s 1,500 m bronzer, stormed past and moved from fifth to second in 1:57.94 to 1:58.16 for Wiley. Britain’s Jemma Reekie (1:58.49) was fourth as Maloney faded to seventh.
The top five from the Paris women’s 100 m hurdles were in Zurich, and Tokyo 2020 champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn – third in Paris – got to the front in mid-race and held off France’s silver winner, Cyrena Mayela-Samba, 12.36 to 12.40 (+0.8). American Masai Russell, the Olympic champ, got third with a late charge at 12.37 over teammate Grace Stark (12.39). Keni Harrison of the U.S., the Tokyo 2020 silver medalist, was seventh in 12.57.
Paris runner-up Anna Cockrell (USA) got out to the early lead in the women’s 400 m hurdles, with fellow American Shamier Little close and Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight third. But around the final turn, Little got to the lead, with Cockrell taking it back over the 10th hurdle. But on the run-in, Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon – sixth in Paris – surged to the lead and won in a lifetime best of 52.97. Cockrell was second in 53.17 and Little third in 54.07.
Ukraine’s Olympic champ Yaroslava Mahuchikh took the women’s high jump, the only one to clear 1.96 m (6-5). Olympic silver winner Nicola Olyslagers (AUS) was again second and Paris co-bronze medalist Iryna Gershchenko was third, with both clearing 1.93 m (6-4).
The Diamond League final comes next, at Brussels and the Memorial Van Damme on 13-14 September.
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