by Alfonz JuckThe Herculis Monaco meeting is always a tremendous meet. In 2020, the Herculis Monaco meeting showed meets around the world how a world-class event could be presented and keep athletes from getting COVID 19.
In 2021, 8000 fans were allowed into Stade Louis II. The officials and staff wore masks, as did (at least from TV), many of the fans.
This is an event-by-event update on the Monaco meeting, thanks to the EME News.
Faith Kipyegon, WL 3:51.07, photo by Diamond League AG
Kipyegon close to World record
MONACO (MON, Jul 9): Four World leads in distance races highlighted the EBS Herculis 6th Diamond League of the season with 8000 spectators. Men´s 800 m, 1500 m, and steeple despite a one lap early ring and also women 1500 m with the best result of the meet 3:51.07 by Faith Kipyegon. The only meet record of the evening by Karsten Warholm is the 400 m hurdles. Also in three concerning technical events, the final 3 ended up with a winner who was not the leader before the final. Men´s high jump needed a jump-off to decide. Several potential Olympic medalists for Tokyo Games made their final competition. European athletes won 5 out of 14 events.
Short reviews
Men
100m – Ronnie Baker won in 9.91 from Akani Simbine (9.98) with Marcell Jacobs returning to sub-10 second form in third in 9.99. WL holder Trayvon Brommel 5th in 10.01. Here no wind (+0.3) was not helpful for faster times.
800m – Botswana’s Nijel Amos was back to his best with a world lead of 1:42.91 ahead of Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir (1:43.04), Canada’s Marco Arop (1:43.26 PB), and Kenya’s world bronze medallist Ferguson Rotich (1:43.57).
1500m – Only fourth at the Kenyan Trials, Timothy Cheruiyot won in a world lead and lifetime best of 3:28.28. Mohamed Katir broke Fermin Cacho’s Spanish record in second with 3:28.76 EL (only 0.08 off the European record) while Jakob Ingebrigtsen returned from illness to finish third in 3:29.25. In fourth, Australia’s Stewart McSweyn broke the Oceanian record with 3:29.51. From 13 runners who finished the race, only 3 did not achieve personal best.
3000m steeplechase – The officials rang the bell one lap too early but Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma still managed to rally on the last lap to set a world lead of 8:07.75 ahead of Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwott (8:07.81 SB). Third French Djilali Bedrani improved to 8:11.17 EL. Victim of the problem was Benjamin Kigen who finished one lap earlier and still ended the race in 8:15.09 SB.
400m hurdles – In his first race since breaking the world record, Karsten Warholm improved his meeting record to 47.08. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos impressed again in second with 47.51.
High jump – World silver medallist Mikhail Akimenko cleared 2.32m to defeat Canada’s Django Lovett in a jump-off.
Long jump – Miltiadis Tentoglou was the only athlete to record a valid jump in the Final Three with 8.24m. Tajay Gayle and Thobias Montler both had better earlier jumps at 8.29m and 8.27 PB. Juan Miguel Echevarria was a no-show.
Women
200m – Shaunae Miller-Uibo motored down the home straight to win in 22.23 (+0.7), closing down on both Marie-Josee Ta Lou (22.25) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (22.48).
800m – Off a super-fast pace, Laura Muir used her strength to win in a 1:56.73 PB, the fastest time by a European since 2008, ahead of training partner Jemma Reekie (1:56.96) and Kate Grace (1:57.20) who also set PBs. Rose Mary Almanza followed the pacemaker through the bell in 54.80 and faded back to ninth in 1:58.51. World champion Halimah Nakaayi clocked national record 1:58.03 as 7th.
1500m – Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon kicked past Sifan Hassan off a final bend to win in an incredible 3:51.07 to move to fourth on the world all-time list behind Genzebe Dibaba (3:50.07), Qu Yunxia (3:50.46), and Jiang Bo (3:50.98). Hassan still set a season’s best of 3:53.60 in second with Freweyni Hailu from Ethiopia improving again to 3:56.28 (first loss of 2021 for her).
3000m steeplechase – Hyvin Kiyeng won in 9:03.82 from Kenyan teammate Beatrice Chepkoech (9:04.84) and Winfred Yavi (9:05.45). In contention for the win in the last 200 meters, Emma Coburn fell at the last water jump and dropped back to fourth in 9:09.02. Gesa-Felicitas Krause was top European as 5th 9:15.03 and Elizabeth Bird clocked national record for Britain 9:22.80 as 7th.
Triple jump – Only Shaneika Ricketts recorded a mark in the Final Three format with 14.29m. Yulimar Rojas produced the longest jump of the competition with 15.12m and she had a narrow no-jump that looked close to the world record in the sixth round. Third Patricia Mamona 14.66 NR and EL.
Pole vault – Katie Nageotte cleared 4.90m on her first attempt to defeat Anzhelika Sidorova and Ekaterini Stefanidi who were second and third at 4.80m on countback. Both Nageotte and Sidorova attempted 4.96m.
Javelin – Barbora Spotakova produced a season’s best of 63.08m in the Final Three format for victory at the age of 40. Poland’s Maria Andrejczyk had a slightly longer overall throw in the first round at 63.63m.
