by Alfonz Juck
Abderahman Samba runs 46.98 for 400m hurdles! photo by PhotoRun.net
Caster Semenya wins 800m in 1:54.25, photo by PhotoRun.net
The Meeting de Paris was fantastic, living up to its hype. With seven world leaders and a slew of just great events, Paris continued the excitement coming from the preceeding seven meets. Now, eight meets with some fine rivalries and epic battles! Next DL is Lausanne, on 5 July!
Samba sub 47, Semenya in solo 1:54
PARIS (FRA, Jun 30): What a wonderful edition of Paris IAAF Diamond League leg. Some 18 000 spectators at Charlety Stadium in nice Saturday evening with warm temperatures and only some wind saw two historical marks. Abderrahmane Samba went to 2nd all-time at 400 m Hurdles and Caster Semenya in solo effort to fourth all-time in the 800 m. Both marks were not only Meet records and World leads but also Diamond League records. Other World leads by Cheruyiot in the 1500 m, Kendricks in Pole Vault, Chepkoech in women steeple, Lasitskene in high jump and Baker equaled the World lead in the 100 m. In meet records department also to note Lasitskene and Perkovic in discus. And what a pro debut for Norman and Benjamin over 200 m, both sub 20 and Duplantis tried at World U20 record in pole vault.
Event by event
Men
100m – Ronnie Baker tied Noah Lyles’ world lead of 9.88 PB (+0.8). Jimmy Vicaut was under 10 seconds again with 9.91 (equaled European lead 2018) with Su Bingtian equalling the Asian record again with 9.91. Akani Simbine was fourth in a 9.94 season’s best. The difference between Vicaut and Su was 0.003.
100m (non-DL) – Fast times and national records in the 100m B race for Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Akbar Mohammed (10.03, +1.2) and Iran’s Hassan Taftian (10.03). Christophe Lemaitre pulled up injured and crossed the line in 10.97.
200m (non-DL) – On his Diamond League debut, NCAA 400m champion Mike Norman won the 200m in a 19.84 PB (-0.6) into a marginal headwind after two false starts ahead of NCAA 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin in a 19.99 PB. Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez was third in 20.08 with European champion Bruno Hortelano fifth in a solid 20.30.
800m (non-DL) – Ferguson Rotich made a late charge to win in 1:43.73 to pip Jonathan Kitilit in 1:43.83. Spain’s Saul Ordonez improved to 1:44.36 European lead with world champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse seventh albeit in a 1:45.19 season’s best.
1500m – Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot improved his world lead from 3:31.22 to 3:29.71 to keep his unbeaten streak on the Diamond League circuit intact. Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman was second with 3:31.77 with Jakub Holusa fifth in a Czech record of 3:32.85 (also European lead 2018).
110m hurdles – Jamaican one-two for Ronald Levy (13.18, +1.5) and Hansle Parchment (13.22) after favourite and world-leader Sergey Shubenkov (fastest of the day 13.05 +0.7 in the heat) was disqualified for a false-start.
400m hurdles – Second fastest time in history for Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba with 46.98, second only to Kevin Young’s world record of 46.78 from the 1992 Olympics. Kyron McMaster improved his national record to 47.54 with world champion Karsten Warholm third in 48.06 despite hitting the ninth barrier.
Pole vault – Sam Kendricks added one centimetre to the world lead with 5.96m ahead of Armand Duplantis (5.90m) and Renaud Lavillenie (5.84m). Piotr Lisek and Shawn Barber also cleared 5.84m.
Discus – Only Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres surpassed the 65m line with 65.77 in round one and then 67.01m in round four. Olympic champion Christoph Harting was second with 64.80m. World medalists were down to 10th (Gudzius) and 12th (Stahl).
Triathlon (non-DL – LJ, SP, 110mH) – Kevin Mayer was in terrific form yet again, setting PBs of 16.51m in the shot put and 13.71 in the 110m hurdles. He just missed his PB in the long jump by three centimetres with 7.62m.
Women
200m – World and Olympic 400m medallist Shericka Jackson improved her PB from 22.18 to 22.05 (+1.1, 2nd fastest of the year) to defeat US champion Jenna Prandini (22.30) and world silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou (22.50).
400m – Salwa Eid Naser made it four wins from as many races on the Diamond League circuit in 2018, winning in an Asian record of 49.55 to break Ma Yuqin’s 25-year-old mark of 49.81.
800m – Caster Semenya led from gun-to-tape (without pacemaker, 25th win in a row) to clock a an amazing 1:54.25 (56.12 400m, 1:25.37 600m) to move to fourth on the world all-time lists behind Kratochvilova (1:53.28), Nadezhda Olizarenko (1:53.43) and Pamela Jelimo (1:54.01). Francine Niyonsaba was a distant second again in 1:55.86 with Ajee’ Wilson third in 1:57.11.
3000m steeplechase – Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech eclipsed her PB with a 8:59.36 world lead, the fifth fastest time ever. Fast times for Celliphine Chespol (9:01.82), Hyvin Kiyeng (9:03.86) and Norah Jeruto (9:04.17) in second, this and fourth. Fifth Yavi of Bahrain Asian U20 record 9:12.74.
High jump – Mariya Lasitskene cleared a world lead and meeting record of 2.04m on her first attempt before three attempts at a Russian record of 2.08m. Her 45th win a row. Nafi Thiam was second on countback at 1.97m ahead of world silver medallist Yulia Levchenko.
Triple jump – Olympic champion Caterine Ibarguen was a comfortable winner with 14.83 (+0.1) from world indoor champion Kimberly Williams (14.56m). Germany’s Kristin Gierisch was fourth with a 14.42m PB.
Discus – Another meeting record and victory (record 41st in DL) for Sandra Perkovic with 68.60m in round two and 67.85m in round six. Cubans Yaime Perez (66.55m) and Denia Caballero (63.13m) were second and third respectively.
