by Stuart Weir
Mariya Lasitskene, high jump, photo by PhotoRun.net
Juan Miguel Echevarria, long jump, photo by PhotoRun.net
This is Stuart Weir’s final column on Stockholm, a homage to our friend, Alfons Juck, who produces EME News daily. There are some great story tellers in our sports genre. Stuart Weir sent us these observances ( about the same time he reminded me the year is not 2012, dutifully corrected).
Men at Work
There were so many good things at the Bauhaus Galan Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday.
Men’s Pole Vault
There was great joy among the home crowd when Armand Duplantis won the pole vault with 5.86 with the favorite, Sam Kendricks second. Duplantis he said all the right things afterwards: “It’s my first IAAF Diamond League victory and of course, I love it here – the crowd were fantastic and I really felt their support”. I imagine they might invite him back next year!
Ramil Guiliyev, 200 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net
200 meters
Remember when Ramil Guliyev (Turkey) won the 200 metres at the London 2017 World Championships and we all wrote him off as a fluke. With wins in the 200 in Oslo and Stockholm this week, both under 20 seconds, it’s a bit harder to dismiss his achievements.
Fedrick Dacres, discus, photo by PhotoRun.net
Men’s discus
In a high quality competition, Andrius Gudzius (Lithuania) threw a PR of 69.59 – beating the meeting record and world lead. Well, he would have done had Fedrick Dacres (Jamaica) not with his previous throw of 69.67, set a new PR, NR,MR and WL. Poor old Andrius must wonder what he’s got to do to win.
Karston Warholm and Abderhaaman Samba, 400m hurdles, photo by PhotoRun.net
Men’s 400h
You really have to know your abbreviations to understand the achievements of Abderrahman Samba of Qatar whose winning time was a DLR, MR, AR and PR. However, when you know that he has won the Diamond League 400h in Doha, Rome, Oslo and Stockholm this year it’s not difficult to conclude that he is rather good at his event. His winning time in Stockholm was 47.41. This would also have been a world leading time had not Rai Benjamin run 47.02 two days previously in Eugene. Intriguingly, Benjamin’s time is exactly equal to the fastest time ever run by the master of the event Edwin Moses who broke the world record four times in the 1970s and 1980s.
Juan Miguel Echevarria, long jump, photo by PhotoRun.net
Long Jump
Before we have properly had time to process that amazing long jump competition in Rome, with both Luvo Manyonga (South Africa) and Juan Miguel Echevarria (Cuba) jumping over 8.50m in the same competition, Echevarria goes and jumps 8.83 in Stockholm. Only Mike Powell (1991) and Bob Beamon (1968) Carl Lewis (1991) and Robert Emmiyan (1987) have jumped further.
Selemon Barega, 5000 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net
5000 meters
Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) ran a world leading 13:04.05 to win the first Diamond race of the season at the distance.
Ferguson Rotich, 1000 meters, photo by PhotoRun.net
1000 meters
We had the rarely run distance of 1000m. This was an official Diamond League event, contributing points to the 800m category. I can reveal that Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich won it in a World Lead and PR time of 2:14.88. I would hate to demean his achievement but one wonders how many times the event has been run this year! Incidentally there were two GB runners in the race and I spoke to both. Andrew Osagie (7th) told me that the extra 200 made such a difference. And he sat down to talk to me. Jake Wightman (3rd), on the other hand, relished the extra 200, telling me that he had been confident that he would catch other runners over the last 200.
I can also reveal that on 11 July 1981, the esteemed president of the IAAF, set a European record for 1000m of 2:12.18, a record which still stands and a time which would have won him maximum points in this week’s race.
