by Alfonz Juck
Chebet 8:11.56 AR/DLR/WL, El Bakkali 8:00.70 WL, Masalela 1:42.70 WL
RABAT (MAR, May 25): Capacity crowds in the Complexe Sportif Prince Moulay Abdellah watched probably the best ever Rabat Diamond League meet, crowned by the 3000m ‘almost’ world record of Beatrice Chebet and heroic victory of Moroccan hero Soufiane El Bakkali in the steeple. High quality of Rabat Sunday evening is underlined by the DL record of Chebet, five meeting records and three world leads. Return of Shericka Jackson, thrilling duels in both 800m races, surprises by Jonah Koech and Frederik Ruppert, Italian record by Nadia Battocletti, and European lead by Femke Bol in her opener.
Short event by event reviews
Women
100m (Diamond+ event): Shericka Jackson was in improved form, winning in 11.04 (0.2). Liberia’s Maia McCoy was a surprise second in 11.08.
800m: Close race between the top three. Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma beats world indoor champion Prudence Sekgodiso, 1:57.42 to 1:57.52, with Addison Wiley third in 1:57.55. Big PBs for France’s Anais Bourgoin in fourth (1:57.81) and Morocco’s Assia Raziki in sixth (1:58.49).
1500m (non-DL): Fast race with the top four breaking 4:00. Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir wins in 3:58.04 ahead of Ethiopia’s Worknesh Mesele (3:58.44), Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi (3:59.25) and Ethiopia’s world U20 champion Saron Berhe (3:59.93).
3000m: Second fastest time in history! Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet clocks 8:11.56 to move to second on the world all-time list behind China’s Wang Junxia who set the world record of 8:06.11 in 1993 (back in a time without out of competition controls). Chebet’s winning time is also African record, DL record and meet record. Nadia Battocletti finished second in an Italian record of 8:26.27 with Ireland’s Sarah Healy third in a 8:27.02 PB.
100m hurdles (non-DL): Meeting record of 12.45 (1.2) for world record-holder Tobi Amusan for a clear win over top Europeans Nadine Visser (12.67), Pia Skrzyszowska (12.69) and Ditaji Kambundji (12.71).
400m hurdles (D+):Femke Bol was in vintage form on her season’s debut, clocking a meeting record and European lead of 52.46 for her fastest ever season’s opener. Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight was a distant second in 53.90.
Pole vault: Katie Moon clears 4.73m on her third attempt before three attempts at 4.80m. Tina Sutej was second on countback with 4.63m ahead of Gabriela Leon, Molly Caudery was DNS.
Javelin: Elina Tzengko wins her third (but second scoring) Diamond League of the year with 64.60m ahead of world leader Adriana Vilagos (63.25m).
Men
100m: Akani Simbine continues his winning streak with 9.95 (0.6) by a clear distance from Ferdinand Omanyala in 10.05 and Fred Kerley in 10.07. Letsile Tebogo was last in 10.43 and then withdrew from the 200m.
200m (D+):Courtney Lindsey wins in 20.04 (0.4), holding off Liberia’s Joseph Fanbulleh in second in 20.12.
400m: Jacory Patterson wins on his Diamond League debut in 44.37, running down South Africa’s Zakithi Nene (44.46) in the last 50 metres with Olympic champion Quincy Hall third in a big season’s best of 44.90. Bayapo Ndori was a DNF.
800m: Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela continues his breakthrough year with a lifetime best, meeting record and world lead of 1:42.70. Brit Max Burgin was an excellent second in a 1:43.34 PB, just ahead of Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi in 1:43.37.
1500m: Surprise of the night! Kenyan-born American Jonah Koech was a shock winner of the 1500 in a meeting record and a six-second lifetime best of 3:31.43 ahead of Reynold Cheruiyot (3:31.78) and Festus Lagat (3:32.06).
3000m steeple: Soufiane El Bakkali was back to winning ways with a world lead of 8:00.70 but the revelation of the night was Frederik Ruppert who improved from 8:15.08 to 8:01.49 to shatter the German record and move to third on the European all-time list, in a race with top 14 sub-8:15.
High jump: Victory for Olympic champion Hamish Kerr on countback at 2.25m
Shot put (D+):A US 1-2-3 for Payton Otterdahl (21.83m, world lead), Joe Kovacs (21.52m) and Adrian Piperi (21.47m).
