by Stuart WeirThe second of the DL Champ events was held in Brussels on 6 September, and Stuart Weir was there for RunBlogRun. This is his first piece on the Ivo Van Damme Memorial, always a fine event.
Sifan Hassan takes the 5000m DL, 6 September 2019, photo by Getty Images / IAAF
Sixteen More Diamond League winners
So now we know the full list of 2019 Diamond League winners. They are listed below. At the press conference earlier in the week, Will Claye let it slip and then corrected himself. He said that the only competition he cared about in 2019 I was the World Championship. Then, remembering that he was sitting in front of the sponsors’ board at the press conference for the Diamond League final, he added instantly that, of course, he really wanted to win the Diamond League final. The myth of the emperor’s new clothes had been exposed – along with the emperor.
Normally the Diamond League finals come at the end of the season. It is the entire focus of athletes who have already competed in the Olympics or World Championships, who want either to prove that what happened in the major championship was not a fluke or indeed make amends for a disappointing major event. In the odd years, the Diamond League final is the unrivalled season climax.
But we all understand what Will Claye is saying. The Diamond League final in 2019 is taking place three weeks before the world championships. Some athletes have actively opted out of this year’s Diamond League programme. A world-record holder who did not win the diamond said quite openly that she was in full training for the world championships and that she was therefore happy with the below par performance in the Diamond League final.
That said 18 athletes can now the call themselves 2019 Diamond League champion and if they did not already have it, they secured an invitation to those world championships. There is also the small matter of $50,000 prize money for first place.
Winners in Brussels
Men’s 200m : Noah Lyles 19.74
Men’s 400m : Michael Norman 44 :26
Men’s 1500m : Timothy Cheruiyot 3:30.22
Men’s 3000m SC: Getnet Wale 8:06.92
Men’s 110m hurdles: Orlando Ortega 13.22
Men’s Shot: Tomas Walsh 22:30
Men’s Triple Jump: Christian Taylor 17:85
Men’s Discus: Daniel Stahl 68.68
Women’s 100m: Dina Asher-Smith 10:88
Women’s 800m: Ajee Wilson 2:00.24
Women’s 5000m: Sifan Hassan 14:26.26
Women’s 100m hurdles: Danielle Williams 12:46
Women’s long jump: Malaika Mihamb0 7:03
Women’s high jump: Mariya Lasitskene
Women’s pole vault: Ekaterina Stefanidi 4.83
Women’s Discus: Yaimé Pérez 68.27
