by Justin LagatThe Monaco Herculis Meeting is one of those track meetings that reside in a parallel universe. From Sifan Hassan’s WR, to Charlie Grice’s 3 second PB, to Sydney Mclaughlin’s fine WL at 400m Hurdles, the Stade Louis II delivered.
Here’s Justin Lagat with his weekly view from Kenya.
Soufiane El Bakkali, Monaco 2018, photo by PHotoRun.net
Fast times have usually been recorded in the past years at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, especially in the distance events. It was the same case this year with a world record being set in the women’s 1 mile and world-leading times being registered in the men’s 3000m steeplechase and 800m races.
NEW WORLD RECORD FOR @SifanHassan!
🎥 https://t.co/r69WstT2TL#MonacoDL 🇲🇨#DiamondLeague#RoadToTheFinal pic.twitter.com/hf7VBaOpF1
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 13, 2019
The women’s 1-mile race became the much talked about race after Sifan Hassan turned it around from what had appeared to be a low profile event, given the scarcity of other big names to provide competition. It was only Tsegay Gudaf who was able to stick with Hassan after the pacesetter had stepped out. For a while, it appeared as though Tsegay was trailing Hassan and waiting to strike in the last stages of the race. But, just after the bell, Hassan accelerated and built a big gap that kept increasing rapidly as she went for the new world record crossing the finish line in 4:12.33. Tsegay would suffer from her mistake of trying to keep up with her as two other athletes overtook her before she reached the finish line. Laura Weightman finished second in a personal best time of 4:17.60 followed by Canada’s Gabriela Debues-Stafford in a new national record of 4:17.87.
Incredible 800m race, a Meeting Record has been broken and World Lead for Nijel Amos (1:41.89) Many season’s best were achieved in this race as well as a few PBs and a National Record! #HerculisEBS #DiamondLeague #MonacoDL pic.twitter.com/nqLhMPlutL
— Herculis (@MeetingHerculis) July 12, 2019
Amos Nijel was less than a second away from smashing David Rudisha’s world record of 1:40.91 in the men’s 800m after having run just behind the pacesetter after a very fast 400m that the pacesetter crossed in 48:70. He continued to maintain the lead until he crossed the finish line in a world-leading time of 1:41.89. Ferguson Rotich finished second in a personal best time of 1:42.54 while Amel Tuka in 1:43.62 crossed the finish line in third.
Timothy Cheruiyot, Lausanne, 6 July 2019, photo by PhotoRun.net
Timothy Cheruiyot appeared to have lacked the right pacemaker who understood what he wanted as he looked impatient in the men’s 1500m. At one stage of the race, he momentarily overtook the pacemakers before allowing the second one to attempt his job. For the second time, Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran another impressive time of 3:30.47 to finish second behind Cheruiyot. Uganda’s Ronald Masagala ran a national record of 3:30.58!
The Herculis Diamond League finished with a bang!! Soufiane El Bakkali wins the men’s 3000m steeplechase with a World Lead of 8:04.82!!! Second place Benjamin Kigen with a PB of 8:05.12 and in third Getnet Wale with a new National Record and PB of 8:05.51 #MonacoDL pic.twitter.com/YlH7yFmtb5
— Herculis (@MeetingHerculis) July 12, 2019
Sofiane El Bakalli won the men’s 3000m steeplechase race in a world-leading time of 8:04.82. In second, came Benjamin Kigen in a personal best time of 8:05.12 ahead of Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale in a new national record time of 8:05.51.
Ajee’ Wilson, Goule Natoya battle, adidas Boost Games, 2018, photo by PhotoRun.net
In the women’s 800m race, Ajee Wilson ran an impressive time of 1:57.73 to edge Goule Natoya who finished second in 1:57.90. Laura Muir in a distance that is not her specialty ran a personal best of 1:58.42 to finish third.
