In the women’s 200m, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and Dina Asher-Smith reprised their thundering duel in Birmingham last year, and it was the Bahamian who came out on top yet again in 2019, edging Asher-Smith with 22.24. It was Miller-Uibo’s second victory on the Road To The Final this year, and the eight points were enough to see her sneak into the top eight to secure her place in the final.
Jamaica’s Akeem Bloomfield also nailed down his final spot with his second win of the season in the men’s 400m, while compatriot Yohan Blake came in a hair’s breadth ahead of Adam Gemili in the men’s 100m to ensure his place in the top eight. It was an agonising defeat for Gemili, who would have made the final himself had he managed to edge Blake on the line.
Another Jamaican, Danielle Williams, continued her superb form with a meeting-record equalling 12.46 in the women’s 100m hurdles. Williams had already qualified for the final, and is looking very much one of the favourites to take the Diamond Trophy in Brussels. In the men’s 400m hurdles, Yasmani Copello secured his final spot with his first win of the season.
There was another meeting record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, as world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech stormed to her third win of the season in 9:05.55.
In the women’s mile, Konstanze Klosterhalfen kept up her relentless recent appetite for national records as she ran a meeting record and PB of 4:21.11, securing her place in the women’s 1500m final as she did so. Ajee Wilson, meanwhile, picked up her second win of the season to confirm her status as the favourite for the Diamond Trophy in the women’s 800m.
Multiple Diamond Trophy winner Katerina Stefanidi also cemented her status as favourite with another win in the women’s pole vault, while current title holder Brandon Starc ensured his place in the men’s high jump final with a season’s best of 2.30m.
There was a surprise in the women’s long jump, as heptathlon star Nafissatou Thiam overcame a strong field to win a thrilling competition with a 6.85m jump, stealing a place in the final, which will take place on what is home turf for her in Brussels. Two-time Diamond Trophy winner Ivana Spanovic also snuck into the provisional list of finalists with seven points for second place.
Diamond League legend Sandra Perkovic has made the women’s discus final with a third-place finish, but having returned from injury this year, she remains a little way behind Cuban rivals Yaime Perez and Denia Caballero, who took first and second place in Birmingham.
There are now also signs that the German domination of the men’s javelin may be under threat, after Chao-Tsun Cheng, Jakub Vadlejch and Magnus Kirt all outthrew Diamond Trophy holder Andreas Hofmann in Birmingham.