This is Stuart Weir’s third piece on the Stockholm DL, which was held on June 30, 2022.
Ten Pointers to Oregon
Of course, the Bauhaus, Stockholm Diamond League is a one-off, unrelated to any future World Athletics events. But, less than two weeks before the Oregon 2022 (or Eugene 2022 as Nick Willis insists on calling it), it is hard not to find oneself interpreting events in the light of Oregon. Here are 10 things that struck me
1 Mondo Duplantis is very good at pole vault! Moreover, he is in awesome form, vaulting 6.16m, which may or may not be a world record depending on your perspective. Either way, it is very good.
2 If Sydney McLaughlin had not been invented, Femke Bol would the star of women’s 400h. She has competed in her main event four times this year – Hengelo, Rome, Oslo, Stockholm and has got faster every time: 53.94, 53.02, 52.61, 52.27. I think she will push Sydney hard. And she is an exceptionally nice lady.
3 Kristjan Čeh throws the discus a long way. He has competed 10 times this summer and won nine times (including Stockholm). His seasons best is 71.27m.
4 The women’s long jump is more open than you might think. In Birmingham, Malaika Mihambo jumped 7 meters and in case you missed it, she did it again! In Stockholm she was only fifth. Lorraine Ugen, winner in Stockholm, is in the best form of her life since she jumped 7.05 in 2018. Quanesha Burks jumped a windy 7 meters at USAs. Ivana Spanovic (Mrs Vuleta) jumped 7 meters indoors. The competition looks wide open.
5 Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the 100m hurdles in 12.46 while feeling “a bit under the weather” and describing her hurdling as “a little sloppy”. I wonder what she could do on a good day!
6 People keep talking about the women’s 800 rematch between Olympic gold and silver medallists, Athing Mu and Keely Hodkinson. In Stockholm Kenyan, Mary Moraa ran 1:57.68 (following 1:57.45 in her national trials last week). Don’t count her out.
7 Dina Asher-Smith was pushed all the way by Mujinga Kambundji, with Dina winning by 3 thousandths of a second in the 200 Stockholm. And in the GB trials she lost the 100m to Darryl Neita. Not the preparation she would have wanted.
8 Chase Ealey makes 20m throws seem routine. As Michelle Carter announces her retirement, it seems that USA will continue to be a force in the shot.
9 Marcell Jacobs pulled out of the event with injury, as he did at the World Indoors, earlier in the year, raising questions about his preparedness for the worlds. Fred Kerley told me earlier in the year “I believe in myself and that makes me a hard man to beat”.
10 Alison dos Santos, winning the 400m hurdles in a world leading 46.80 seems the man most likely to profit from Karsten Warholm’s injury.
