2018 ISTAF Berlin Diary: Caster Semenya, 2:30.70 WL and NR

BERLIN (GER, Sep 2): At 77th ISTAF there was also a German clean sweep in the javelin with Thomas Rohler producing the two longest throws of the competition – 86.16m and 86.50m – to beat Julian Weber (85.54m) and Andreas Hofmann (85.09m) although Christin Hussong’s 61.51m was beaten in the final round of the women’s javelin by Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Roberts’ 62.70m. Christina Schwanitz reversed the outcome of the European Championships in the shot put with victory over Paulina Guba, 19.25m to 18.58m but Maksim Nedasekau defeated European champion Mateusz Przybylko in the high jump, 2.30m to 2.28m. Elsewhere, Australia’s Brooke Stratton won the long jump with 6.71m and Jamaica’s Kimberley Williams won the triple jump with 14.40m ahead of European champion Paraskevi Papahristou 14.25. On the track, Caster Semenya moved to fifth on the world all-time 1000m lists with 2:30.70 national record and World lead ahead of Uganda’s Halima Nakaayi (2:34.88 NR) ad Nelly Jepkosgei (2:35.30 NR), Colleen Quigley ran a fast 9:10.27 PB in the steeplechase to beat Kenya’s Daisy Jepkemei (9:14.66) and Marta Pen was the surprise winner of the mile (first time at ISTAF) in 4:22.45, beating Carla Sacramento’s long-standing national Portuguese record in the process. Kate Grace (4:23.23) and Konstanze Klosterhalfen (4:24.77) were second and third respectively. In the sprints, Orlando Ortega continued his good recent form with victory in the 110m hurdles in 13.15 (+0.9) and Christina Manning (12.72, +0.4)) edged out Pamela Dutkiewicz (12.73) and Cindy Roleder (12.77) in the 100m hurdles. Jamaica’s Tyquendo Tracey won the men’s 100m in 10.05 (+0.1) from Panama’s Alonso Edward (10.08) with world 200m champion Ramil Guliyev from Turkey sixth in 10.36 and Marie Jose Ta Lou won the women’s 100m in 11.08 (-0.3). In the B race, 19-year-old Kristal Awuah won in 11.16 PB (-0.1), just missing Dina Asher-Smith’s UK U20 record of 11.14. In the 4x100m, Germany beat Great Britain, 42.98 to 43.19. Fast 3:32.37 by DL winner Timothy Cheruiyot in men´s 1500 m ahead of Ferguson Rotich 3:33.21 and Ismael Debjani 3:34.40 PB and third best Belgian ever.