This is the event by event review on the Van Damme Memorial by EME News.
Daniel Stahl wins the discus, photo by Diamond League AG
Hassan and Cherry the top marks, Duplantis tried at 6.19m
BRUSSELS (BEL, Sep 3): Record crowd for the athletics season 2021 30 000 spectators saw at 45th Allianz Van Damme Memorial Sifan Hassan achieving fifth fastest time of history in the mile. Other two meet records fell to Armand Duplantis and Michael Cherry at the final Diamond League meeting before the final in Zurich. Olympic medalists from Belgium were honoured at the begin of the meet and also tribute to former IOC President Jacques Rogge was paid. Before the usual firework Duplantis offered three attempts at 619, the third one was the best one.
Short reviews
Men
100m: Fred Kerley took the win in 9.94 over Trayvon Bromell (9.97) and Michael Norman (9.98 SB for 400 m specialist). Kerley becomes the first man to win at the Diamond League over 100m, 200m and 400m.
400m: Michael Cherry moved clear in the home straight to take 0.18 from his PB and break the meeting record with 44.03. Kirani James looked to be challenging on the final bend but was second with 44.51. Isaac Makwala was third with 44.83.
800m (non-DL): Ferguson Rotich comfortably took just his third win of the season, clocking 1:43.81 to move up to fourth on the world rankings.
1500m: Stewart McSweyn timed his race well with victory in 3:33.20 as Mohamed Katir faded from an early charge to seventh. Oliver Hoare completed the Australian 1-2 with 3:33.79 as Michal Rozmys was third with 3:33.96.
400m hurdles: Alison dos Santos finished well to win with 48.23 as Kryon McMaster (48.31) lost the lead when hitting the final barrier. Yasmani Copello was third with 48.45.
Pole vault: Armand Duplantis had a third-time clearance of 6.05m, his second best of the season, to set a meeting record. After technical difficulties and 20 minutes delay he had three attempts at World record 619. Chris Nilsen was second with 5.85m, the same height as KC Lightfoot, who equalled his outdoor PB in third.
Long jump: With no eight-metre jumps in the entire competition, Steffin McCarter had the best overall and in the deciding last round with 7.99m. Ruswahl Samaai, who had led with 7.95m, was second. Filippo Randazzo was third with 7.89m.
Women
200m: Christine Mboma was just three hundredths outside her world junior record, winning with her usual late charge in 21.84. Shericka Jackson was second with 21.95 as Dina Asher-Smith set a European lead of 22.04 for third. Sha’Carri Richardson was fourth with 22.45.
400m (non-DL): Belgium’s Camille Laus won with 52.34 in this Belgium versus Netherlands race.
800m: Natoya Goule sprang a surprise with a win in 1:58.09 as Keely Hodgkinson (1:58.16) could not catch her in the home straight. Jemma Reekie was third in 1:58.77.
Mile: Sifan Hassan ran the fifth fastest time in history with 4:14.74 after setting off on world-record pace through 800m (2:05 behind the pacemaker) but slowing over the third lap. It was also WL and MR. Axumawit Embaye was second with 4:21.08. Linden Hall set an Oceania record of 4:21.38 in third.
5000m: Winning her third DL race in a row, Francine Niyonsaba came out on top of a four-way sprint for the line with an expected Burundian record of 14:25.34. Ejgayehu Taye was second with 14:25.63, Hellen Obiri third in season’s best 14:26.23 and Margaret Kipkemboi fourth in a PB of 14:27.12.
100m hurdles: Nadine Visser won a tight race with 12.69, a time shared by Tobi Amusan by 0.008. Megan Tapper was third with 12.77.
High jump: Yaroslava Mahuchikh had her first win on the circuit since Stockholm, the only athlete to clear 2.02m. Mariya Lasitskene had led with a perfect card up to and including 2.00m. Nicola McDermott cleared the same height for third. All three had failures at 2.04m. It was only a second win of Mahuchikh over Lasitskene (2:13).
