Shanghai DL is a tremendous event. However, in 2016, there were some miscues, that are being discussed far and wide. Here are Alex Mills’ five big moments from Shanghai DL.
Muktar Edris, photo by PhotoRun.net
A week on from the explosion that was the Doha Diamond League and the world leads just keep coming, this time in Shanghai, where stage 2 of the DL circuit proved to be equally exciting. While things didn’t go completely smoothy on the organisational side of things (Just ask David Rudisha and Bran Som) with false starts, strange starts and athletes being forgotten (Poor Renaud Lavillenie, at least he managed to recover in time to still jump 5.83m) the athletes did their very best to keep the show on the on the road.
Here are my five highlights from another great meet.
Sandra Perkovic, photo by PhotoRun.net
- Sensational start for Perkovic
To say Olympic champion and four-time Diamond trophy winner Sandra Perkovic kicked off her season with a bang would be an understatement, it was more like an earthquake. Already holding a comfortable lead in the competition thanks to a third round throw of 67.73m, the Croatian then blasted out to an incredible 70.88m to eclipse the previous DL record and leave her rivals, including world champion Denia Cabellero reeling. If there was any doubt that she had recovered from her shock defeat to Cabellero at Beijing 2015, it will be gone now.
Sam Kendricks, photo by PhotoRun.net
2. Kendricks adds to North American challenge in the pole vault
Last year Shawn Barber caused a huge ripple in the field events when he defeated Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie and co in the men’s pole vault to become the youngest ever world champion in the event as a collegian. Now it’s his former NCAA rival Sam Kendricks that’s pulling up trees.
Both are now Nike pros, and it’s arguably American Kendricks who’s making the bigger impact on the circuit. After claiming a first global medal with silver at the world indoor championships, where Barber finished 4th, Kendricks became the first American ever to win a DL pole vault competition in China, whilst also smashing his outdoor personal best. Taking the competition from Lavillenie with a third round clearance at 5.88m, the US star in now in a great position to be a key player at Rio 2016. Of course Lavillenie, who was a little out of sorts on Saturday, is still the favourite to retain his title, but Kendricks will have taken confidence from the way he responded to the pressure of two personal best third-time clearances.
Faith Kipyegon, photo by PhotoRun.net
3. Kipyegon lays down a huge marker to Genzebe Dibaba
There is still a lot of debate as to whether Genzebe Dibaba will actually compete in the 1500m in Brazil this summer, with the world champion seeming to suggest a preference towards 5,000m glory in several reports. Yet even if she does, the title certainly isn’t assured to be hers. Especially if Faith Kipyegon runs anything like she did here. The 22 year-old Kenyan ran an incredible national record 3:56.82 this weekend in arguably the best 1500m ever seen in the month of May. Racing against a great cast of athletes that included former world champ Jenny Simpson, compatriot Helen Obiri and three of Ethiopia brightest stars, the world silver medallist made her rivals looking distinctly average as she blasted her way to victory, after running 43.49 seconds for the final 300 metres. Though three women went under 4.00 minutes here, it was all about the winner. She must now try to keep up her form until August and make things exciting, should the world record holder decide to offer her a challenge at the Olympics.
Hyvin Kiyeng, photo by PhotoRun.net
4. KIYENG CRUISES TO WORLD LEAD
For many years the women’s steeplechase has been one of the hardest races to predict. Now it seems as though that we might have a clear favourite to become Olympic champion in Hyvin Kiyeng. The Kenyan this week became the world leader and the seventh-fastest athlete of all-time after running 9:07.42 in Shanghai, laying down the marker to the likes of Habiba Ghribi, Virginia Nyambura and Hiwot Ayalew. The world champion bided her time, letting a fearless Ruth Jebet take a huge lead before slowly coming back to her, pouncing with 300m to go, as her Bahraini rival literally wobbled, having gone all out for victory at a pace far quicker than her personal best suggested she could. Though the eventual margin of victory was impressive, it was the way that Kiyeng kept chasing Jebet when it seemed the rest of the field had seemingly given up, that really showed her steel.
Muktar Edris, photo by PhotoRun.net
5.World junior champions Edris and Cheptegai make marks in 5000m
When Muktar Edris ran an electric 12:54.83 in 2014 to win the Stockholm Diamond League 5,000m at just 20 years old, it looked as though the 2012 world junior champion might be Ethiopia’s next big distance running hope. Yet until Saturday’s Diamond League race things hadn’t gone so smoothly since. Despite winning world cross country bronze, the East African had seen himself pushed back down the national pecking order by the successes of Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha, making him a rank outsider in Shanghai. So as everyone waited to see whether his compatriots would make a decisive move, Edris floated under the radar and past his rivals, cruising to the front before driving home for victory in a meeting record 12:59.96. As well as the obvious monetary boost that will come with such a triumph, the win will undoubtably increase Edris chances at what will be arguably the most difficult Olympic trials in the world.
Joseph Cheptegei, photo by PhotoRun.net
Behind Edris a special mention must go to Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegai, who smashed an incredible 28 seconds from his personal best to finish second in 13:00.60. Racing in only his second Diamond League meet, the 19 year-old gave a fearless performance to take on the lead on numerous occasions and hold his own as the pace increased, coming past an incredible cast of athletes in the last 100m to finish as runner-up. Though Rio 2016 might be too early for the world junior champion to grab medals, Uganda definitely have themselves a star in the making!
