Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson claimed a revenge win over Olympic champion Noah Lyles in the men’s 100m in Silesia on Saturday, as several athletes set new Diamond League records.
A year on from their historic battle in the Olympic final in Paris, Thompson and Lyles were neck and neck on the line at the 12th Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season, but the Jamaican clocked 9.87 to beat Lyles by 0.03 seconds and equal the meeting record.
His was one of a number of records to fall at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial.
Faith Kipyegon came within one second of the long-standing world 3000m record, clocking 8:07.04 for the second-fastest time in history.
That was one of three individual Diamond League records set on a hot and sunny afternoon in the Silesian Stadium, where Karsten Warholm and Masai Russell also produced two of the fastest performances of all time.
Kenya’s Kipyegon is already the world record-holder for the 1500m and the mile and she came incredibly close to adding the 3000m mark to her CV in only her third ever race over the distance.
The three-time Olympic and four-time world gold medallist was paced by Sage Hurta-Klecker and Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull, and she tracked them closely as they hit 1000m in 2:42.07. Hull then reached 2000m in 5:25.18, a few strides ahead of Kipyegon.
After running solo for the final two laps, Kipyegon stormed across the finish line in 8:07.04 for an African record and Diamond League record, just missing the world record of 8:06.11 set by Wang Junxia in 1993.
She won the race by almost half a minute, Likina Amebaw securing second place in 8:34.53.
The performance marked a phenomenal return to Poland for Kipyegon, who was racing in the country for the first time since 2013, when she won her second world U20 cross country title in Bydgoszcz. She also made her global championship debut in Poland when she raced at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships.
“I am so happy,” she said. “I saw the world record line during the race but today it was very hot. I want to come back here next year. All those records, this is what I love doing. I want to be an inspiration for young people and I love to challenge myself.”
Looking ahead to next month’s World Championships, she added: “It is all about Tokyo now.”
Norway’s Warholm issued a warning to his rivals in the 400m hurdles, blazing to the third-fastest time in history – a Diamond League record and world lead of 46.28.
Only Warholm, with his world record of 45.94 from the Tokyo Olympics, and Paris Olympic champion Rai Benjamin, who ran 46.17 in that Tokyo Olympic final, have ever gone faster. Ezekiel Nathaniel ran a Nigerian record of 47.31 for second place.
Femke Bol took four tenths of a second off her own world lead to win the women’s event, running a dominant 51.91 to improve her own meeting record.
The world champion maintained a remarkable five-year Diamond League 400m hurdles win streak, clinching this latest victory by more than a second and a half ahead of Slovak Republic’s Emma Zapletalova, who ran a national record of 53.58.
USA’s Olympic champion Russell lined up in Silesia on the hunt for her first Diamond League win and she secured it in sensational style, breaking the Diamond League record with 12.19 (1.4m/s) – the joint-third fastest time in history.
Only world record-holder Tobi Amusan (12.12) and Russell herself (12.17) have ever run quicker.
Demonstrating the incredible current depth in the event, the meeting record had been broken earlier in the afternoon, as Nadine Visser improved her own Dutch record to 12.28 (1.1m/s) in the heats. It was Tonea Marshall who got closest to Russell in the final, running a PB of 12.24 for the runner-up spot, as Amusan finished third in 12.25.
Hodgkinson and Thompson make their mark
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson made a big statement in her first race since becoming the Olympic 800m champion in Paris, running a world-leading meeting record of 1:54.74.
In her comeback after injury, the two-time world silver medallist stormed to the ninth-fastest time in history and the second-fastest time of her career so far, behind her own British record of 1:54.61. Kenya’s Lilian Odira was second in a PB of 1:56.52 and the top nine all dipped under two minutes, including Australia’s Claudia Hollingsworth with an Oceanian record of 1:57.67.
Another meeting record fell in the women’s 1500m, Ethiopia’s world 10,000m champion Gudaf Tsegay dominating the race to win in 3:50.62 – the eighth-fastest performance of all time. She started out on world record pace, following closely as the pacemaker reached 800m in 1:59.97, and although her pace dropped over the final lap, she remained well clear to win by more than four seconds.
Kenya’s Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet, making her international 1500m debut, finished second in 3:54.73 and Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell was third in 3:56.00 as the top seven went sub-3:57.
The women’s 100m closed the programme and USA’s Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ensured it ended in style. Equalling the meeting record with 10.66 (0.1m/s), she was just 0.01 off her PB and world lead as she continued her win streak this season. Tia Clayton was second in a PB of 10.82.
Jamaica’s two-time world champion Shericka Jackson won the 200m, pipping Brittany Brown – 22.17 to 22.21 (-0.3m/s).
USA’s Cordell Tinch and Grant Holloway were locked in battle in the 110m hurdles, but it was world leader Tinch who edged ahead in the closing stages to beat the three-time world champion, equalling the meeting record with 13.03 (-0.5m/s) to Holloway’s 13.15.
Dominican Republic’s Olympic and world champion Marileidy Paulino won the 400m with a superb home straight surge that saw her overpower Salwa Eid Naser and dip for victory in 49.18. Naser held on for the runner-up spot in 49.27.
The men’s 1500m was won by Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse in 3:33.19, as he works towards the Diamond League Final on the hunt for a wild card entry for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. Timothy Cheruiyot moved through the field for second place in 3:33.35.
Duplantis and Mahuchikh soar to victory
Back at the scene of his 6.26m then world record from last year, Mondo Duplantis soared 6.10m to win the pole vault this time. Just four days after raising the record to 6.29m in Budapest, he again faced strong competition from Emmanouil Karalis, who cleared 6.00m to finish second, two weeks on from clearing a national record of 6.08m at the Greek Championships.
Duplantis needed two attempts at his opening height of 5.60m and also had two tries at 6.10m, while Karalis cleared all his heights first time before three unsuccessful attempts at 6.10m. Duplantis went on to try 6.20m, with a close third attempt.
Fresh from his world-leading 83.18m to win in Budapest on Tuesday, Hungary’s world and Olympic hammer medallist Bence Halasz continued his fine form to win in Silesia with 81.77m. Four of his five valid throws were beyond 80 metres. Olympic and world champion Ethan Katzberg threw 79.30 for the runner-up spot.
The women’s Olympic and world champion Camryn Rogers surpassed 75 metres with two of her throws and clinched victory with a best of 75.39m. She backed it up with throws of 75.25m and 73.64m and won ahead of Krista Tervo with 72.74m.
USA’s Payton Otterdahl beat Italy’s world leader Leonardo Fabbri in the shot put, throwing 22.28m in the fifth round to improve on Fabbri’s 22.10m from the fourth round.
New Zealand’s Olympic champion Hamish Kerr soared a season’s best of 2.33m to win the high jump, while USA’s double Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Moore set a meeting record of 6.85m to win a close long jump contest by two centimetres ahead of Hilary Kpatcha and world indoor champion Claire Bryant.
Kenya’s 2015 world gold medallist Julius Yego won the javelin with a throw of 83.60m.
The action kicked off with meeting records in the women’s high jump and pole vault, held as street events the day before the main programme. Ukraine’s world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh cleared 2.00m to win the high jump ahead of Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers (1.97m), while world indoor champion Marie-Julie Bonnin cleared 4.70m to win the pole vault before attempting a French record height of 4.77m.
Dutch thrower Jessica Schilder topped the shot put, throwing 19.66m. It was close for second place, Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye pipping Maggie Ewen by one centimetre – 19.50m to 19.49m.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics and the Wanda Diamond League
