The discus, javelin and shot put have provided everything in the first half of this year’s Diamond Race. From nail-biting duels to indefatigable dominance, it’s been a rollercoaster ride in May and June.
Shot Put
Diamond Trophy holder Joe Kovacs suffered an early setback when he finished thir as Kurt Roberts stormed to victory in the season opener in Shanghai. Kovacs came back with a bang, though, taking victories in Eugene and Oslo to establish a comfortable lead and get his title defence back on track. New Zealand’s Tom Walsh, however, had been quietly collecting points with consistent top three finishes, and his victory in the beautiful surroundings of Stockholm’s Ralambshovsparken saw him climb to within two points of Kovacs in the Diamond Race standings.
You spin me right round baby, right round, like a shot put baby . . . #StockholmDL #DiamondLeague
In the women’s event, Tia Brooks got off to a flyer with victory in Doha, before four-time Diamond Race winner Valerie Adams marked her return to elite athletics with back-to-back victories in Eugene and Oslo. Brooks fought back with another win in Stockholm, and is now just four points behind Adams. Just one point behind Brooks is Hungarian Anita Marton, who has three consecutive second place finishes under her belt.
The shot putters are getting warmed up in the #DLDoha heat. Action kicks off with the shot put in half an hour #DiamondLeague
Discus
Sandra Perkovic has already won four Diamond Trophies, and her campaign for a fifth is proving to be just another testament to the Croatian’s brilliance. She has won all four Diamond Race meetings this season, giving her an astonishing 28 point lead at this stage of the season. Under the new Diamond Race points system, that is still not quite enough to guarantee her overall victory at this stage, but one more win will see her over the line.
@discus70queen leads the women’s javelin #DiamondRace by some distance. A fifth #DiamondTrophy this year?
In the men’s discus, the pattern is similar to last year. Diamond Trophy holder Piotr Malachowski leads the field, pursued by Robert Urbanek and Philip Milanov. As in last season, however, neither Urbanek nor Milanov have been able to launch a significant challenge to Malachowski’s dominance. The Pole has an eight point lead over his compatriot Urbanek.
Over in the men’s #discus, Piotr #Malachowski leads the line, pursued by compatriot @donrobsdon #DiamondRace
Javelin
Thomas Röhler won the Diamond Race in Zürich back in 2014, and he will be looking to repeat history this season. The German currently holds a five point lead after victories in Shanghai and Oslo. But Ihab Abdelrahman is making the men’s javelin into one of the most thrilling duels of the season. The Egyptian won in Eugene and Stockholm to ensure that he is still breathing down Röhler’s neck.
The women’s event, meanwhile, is shaping up into an exciting two-horse race. Sunette Viljoen has twice taken the lead with victories in Shanghai and Oslo, but Madara Palameika currently tops the standings after a second place finish in Norway was enough to complement two wins in Eugene and Stockholm. As neither woman has ever won the Diamond Race, the Diamond Trophy is almost certain to fall into the hands of a new athlete come September.