by Alfonz Juck
The crowded stands, 2018 Doha Diamond League, Doha, Qatar, photo by Stuart Weir
Perkovic 71.38, Samba 47.57 – DL records
Doha Diamond League, photo from Doha DL LOCDOHA (QAT): Great begin of 9th IAAF Diamond League. With 8 World leads, 5 meeting records from them also 2 Diamond League records (women discus and men 400 m hurdles). New generation of winners (Gardiner, Lyles, Chepkoech, Samba) showed great potential in ideal weather conditions. Two home wins also made the evening a special one.
Short Reviews
Abdeerhaman Samba dominates 400m hurdles in 47.57, photo from Doha Diamond League LOCMen
200m – Noah Lyles set a meeting record and PB of 19.83 (+1.3) on his season’s debut at the distance. Jereem Richards also broke the 20-second mark in 19.99 with world champion Ramil Guliyev (leading into home straight) third in season debut 20.11.
400m – Having already clocked 19.75 in the 200m, Steven Gardiner opened his account in the 400m with a world lead and Bahamian record of 43.87. Abdelelah Haroun (44.50) and Isaac Makwala (44.92) were the two others to break the 45-second mark.
800m – Emmanuel Korir defeated world 1500m champion Elijah Manangoi, 1:45.21 to 1:45.60 as the runners did not follow pacemaker Bram Som.
1500m (non-DL) – Ethiopian teenager Taresa Tolosa won in 3:35.07 ahead of world U18 champion George Manangoi who improved his PB to 3:35.53.
3000m steeplechase (non-DL) – Comfortable win for Ethiopia’s Chala Beyo in 8:13.71 over Lawrence Kipsang (8:15.07 PB) from 2nd wave of Kenyan steeplers.
400m hurdles – Abderrahman Samba blasted to a Diamond League record of 47.57 (WL) and left the others far behind. It was also the fastest time in eight years and just 0.04 outside the 18-year-old Asian record.
High jump – Mutaz Essa Barshim opened his outdoor season with a world-leading 2.40m (his 11th 240 or more in the career) on his first attempt before three attempts at 2.42m and took the bar with him. Syria’s Majd Eddin Ghazal was second with 2.33m.
Triple jump – Pedro Pablo Pichardo (cannot compete at championships yet) is back to form with a world-leading 17.95m and had two more jumps over 17.50m: 17.58m and 17.53m. Christian Taylor responded with 17.81m on his season’s opener in a duel which remembered the one from 2015.
Javelin – History was made as three throwers – all German – surpassed the 90m line in the same competition for the first time. Olympic champion Thomas Rohler went out to 91.78m in the second round to surpass Johannes Vetter’s opener of 91.56m while Andreas Hofmann went out to 90.08m in round three. World U20 champion Neeraj Chopra improved his Indian record to 87.43m in fourth.
Women
Sandra Perkovic won discus in WL, photo from Doha Diamond League LOC100m – Excellent race with five runners breaking the 11-second mark. Marie-Josee Ta Lou set a world-leading 10.85 (+1.5) ahead of Blessing Okagbare (10.90), Elaine Thompson (10.93) and Murielle Ahoure (10.96). Carina Horn improved her South African record to 10.98 in fifth, her first sub-11 clocking. World champion Schippers sixth 11.03.
1500m – Caster Semenya improved her world lead and South African record to 3:59.92 WL after top finish in last 100 m. Kenya’s Nelly Jepkosgei improved to 4:00.99 in second and Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu improved her outdoor best from 4:14.67 to 4:01.41 in third in her change from 800 to 1500 m.
3000m – Caroline Kipkirui outsprinted World CC Champion 2015 Agnes Tirop, 8:29.05 (WL) to 8:29.09 (PB´s). Former world steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng made it a Kenyan clean sweep with a big PB to 8:30.51 and Jenny Simpson was fourth in 8:30.83. Hellen Obiri faded to 14th in 8:53.65.
100m hurdles – Kendra Harrison defeated Olympic champion Brianna McNeal, who hit the eighth hurdle heavily, 12.53 to 12.58 (+0.5).
Pole vault – Sandi Morris cleared 4.74m and a meeting record of 4.84m on her third attempts before two tries at 5.01m. Ekaterini Stefanidi had to settle for fourth on countback with 4.64m on her season’s opener.
Discus – Sandra Perkovic smashed the Diamond League record with 71.38 WL, missing her national record by just three centimetres. It is 2nd best throw since 1992.
The Doha Diamond League, photo from Qatar Olympic Committee
