by Stuart WeirThe London Diamond League is always a great show of our sport. Two days of track and field in the London Olympic Stadium. Stuart Weir, our intrepid global traveler, is covering London for us, as he did last weekend. Here is his first column on the London Diamond League.
Abdallellah Haroun, winner of 400m in 44.07, PB, NR for Qatar! photo by Getty Images/British Athletics
Day 1 Assessment
Is the glass half-fun or half empty? 21,000 people watched day one of the Muller Anniversary Games. In a stadium which can hold 60,000 that did not seem a lot but it was more than at the Herculis last night. And with 55,000 watching the Athletics World Cup last weekend and another 21,000 expected tomorrow, that is 97,000 tickets for track and field sold in a nine days. That is more than “half ful”l in my eyes.
The crowd was entertained by a full programme of athletics including seven Diamond events.
Qatar’s Abdallelah Haroun ran a 44.07 national record to win the 400m flat, following his second-place finishes in the IAAF Diamond League meetings in Doha, Rome and Rabat.
In the men’s 100m, world indoor 60m bronze medallist, Ronnie Baker of the USA – the 100m winner in Eugene, Rome and Paris – here clinched another impressive win, with a storming 9.90 win. Baker ran the same time exactly in the prelim to show it was not a fluke.
Shara Proctor produced a strong 6.91m winning leap in the long jump.
Elsewhere, the men’s pole vault provided another bout of exhilarating action, with Sam Kendricks (USA), winner in Eugene, Rome, Paris and Rabat and now London clearing 5.92 with Renaud Lavillenie second with 5.86.
Olympic silver and world bronze medallist, Paul Chelimo of the USA snatched a dramatic 5,000m victory from Ethiopian duo, Edris Muktar and Yomif Kejelcha in a swift 13:14.01.
In the 400m hurdles, 2015 world champion Shamier Little of the USA pipped Commonwealth champion, Janieve Russell 53.95 to 53.96.
China’s world bronze medallist, Lye Huihui placed third in the London Stadium at the World Cup last weekend but she was victorious this afternoon, with a 65.54m winning throw in the javelin, from Nikola Orgodnikova, Czech Republic – who recorded a best of 65.36m.
While the race was not a Diamond event, world 400m hurdles champion, Karsten Warholm (Norway) captured a comfortable 400m hurdles victory with a fine 47.65 national record-setting run. His task was made easier by Abderrahman Samba’s decision to run the 400m flat today.
