This is Stuart Weir’s third column on the Florence Diamond League meeting, the third of the 2023 season. Stuart gives us a live view of so many of the meets in Europe and GB.
Five things that did not surprise me in Florence
1 Fred Kerley won the 100m (9.94)
Fred is running ridiculous times for the 100m consistently. Afterward, I said to him that he is so good at 100m, it puzzles me why he still runs 200 and 400s. He told me he was just doing what he had always done since he was young.
“The secret of my success is being consistent. I ran 9.8s already this year, so when my time will be sub 9.80 the world will be surprised, but I will not be surprised. I feel good, I feel good in my training. It was a good, open race for me, so I knew what I had to do. Pressure? I leave the pressure behind, I believe in myself and in what I am capable to do”.
2 Grant Holloway won the 110m hurdles(13.04)
“It was good; I wanted to come out there and execute my race plan. I executed my race with perfection so I could not have done anything better today. I feel good, my body is good, and my team is working on it, so we just need to continue towards the next meet to get the perfection. To get better each week to have a good season. So it was really important today. Maybe the start could be a little bit better, there can be a thousand things that I can improve, but I am consistent and the season is still going on”.
3 Katie Moon won the pole vault (4.71)
Olympic and World Champion and winner of two Diamond Leagues this year. “It was a tough competition for me, I was a little bit inconsistent. After the injection in my ankle after the Doha Diamond League meeting, I have not jumped a lot so today, I was just jumping my way back into shape. I was not super consistent but I am happy about how some of my jumps went”.
4 Erriyon Knighton went sub 20 in the 200 (19.89)
“I was running from the outside; I tried to run relaxed. I would not say that I did not try to stay safe on the home straight. Now, I am very satisfied with this time – under 20 in the season’s first race. I was hoping for such a result. I really do not know how to succeed on the world level, I just have to trust my coach. Whatever he says, I do”.
5 Femke Bol won and ran a World Lead (52.43)
It is a great result; it met all my expectations! It was a strong field that pushes me even more. I changed the rhythm between the hurdles, this change makes it easier, less steps, and I am still fast. I am looking forward to run in Hengelo in two days because there will be a lot of people from home. And running the 400m gives me a different stimulus”.
