Two world records and 10 meeting records fell on a sensational afternoon of athletics at the 12th Diamond League meet of the season in front of a heaving crowd in Silesia, Poland on Sunday.
While the new world records belonged to European athletes, we take a look at some of the outstanding African performances on the day…
TEBOGO STILL ON TOP – MEN’S 200M
Letsile Tebogo continued to dominate in the 200m. While the 21-year-old Olympic champion was challenged for much of the race, he blazed to the front down the home straight to win in a new meet record time of 19.83 seconds. Dominica’s Alexander Ogando was second in a national record of 19.86 with the USA’s Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek third in 20.00.
EL BAKKALI EASES TO VICTORY, ONLY JUST – MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE
Morocco’s two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali may have run a season’s best of 8:04.29 in the 3000m steeplechase but he almost took it too easy, slowing down in the final metres without realising he was being closed down by his rivals. In the end, he just edged ahead of Kenya’s Amos Serem who was credited with the same time of 8:04.29 but was beaten by three thousandths of a second. Ethiopian Samuel Feriwu was not far behind, settling for third in 8:04.34.
CHEPCHIRCHIR LEADS THE WAY – WOMEN’S 1000M
Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir produced an impressive performance to win the rarely contested women’s 1000m in a new meet record and world-leading time of 2:31.24. That saw her finishing ahead of Britain’s Jemma Reekie (2:32.56) with Kenya’s Olympic 800m bronze medallist Mary Moraa finishing third in a new personal best of 2:33.43.
ETHIOPIANS DOMINATE WITH TOP TWO PLACES – WOMEN’S 1500M
There was an Ethiopian one-two in the women’s 1500m with World Championships silver-medallist Diribe Welteji, who just missed out on an Olympic medal in Paris, taking the win in a time of 3:57.08. Welteji was just ahead of compatriot and world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu who finished in 3:57.88.
OMANYALA SETTLES FOR SECOND – MEN’S 100M
It took a photo finish to separate Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala from American Fred Kerley in the men’s 100m which was missing Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson of Jamaica from the start line. In the end there was just one hundredth of a second between them – Kerley, who snuck Olympic bronze by the same margin from South Africa’s Akani Simbine in Paris, edging in front in a meet record time of 9.87 seconds with Omanyala second in 9.88.
WANYONYI IN UNFAMILIAR SECOND SPOT – MEN’S 800M
After the highs of claiming Olympic gold and then setting the joint second fastest time in history over 800m just a few days earlier, Kenya’s Emmanual Wanyonyi suffered a rare defeat over two laps in Poland. Canada’s world champion Marco Arop stormed to victory in a speedy 1:41.86 with Wanyonyi second in 1:43.23.
RECORD-BREAKING RUN – MEN’S 3000M
Norway’s Olympic 5000m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen set a new world record of 7:17.55 in the men’s 3000m to eclipse the mark set by Kenya’s Daniel Komen way back in 1996. That saw him finishing ahead of the Ethiopian duo of Berihu Aregawi (7:21.28) and Yomif Kejelcha (7:28.44). Olympic 10 000m silver medallist Aregawi’s time was a new national record for Ethiopia and placed him third on the all-time list. Three other national records were set in the race – including one for South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt, who finished eighth in a time of 7:32.99.
CLAYTON EDGES NAIL-BITING SPRINT – WOMEN’S 100M
Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith and Jamaican Tia Clayton were both credited with a time of 10.83 seconds in the women’s 100m. But it was the Jamaican, 15 years Ta-Lou-Smith’s junior, who was credited with the win after she managed to edge ahead by just six thousandths of a second.
SILVER STREAK FOR VAN DYK – WOMEN’S JAVELIN
South Africa’s Olympic silver medallist in the javelin Jo-Ané van Dyk finished second in Poland with a sixth-round effort of 62.81m. There were a few nervous moments after two no-throws to start off, but then a third-round effort of 62.67m would actually have been enough to secure second place before she improved that mark in the final round. The competition was won by Adriana Vilagos who produced a personal best and national record for Serbia of 65.60m.