Diamond League action returned in spectacular fashion with two world records broken in Paris on Sunday afternoon.
Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh broke the world high jump record that had stood since 1987 while the second record to fall belonged to Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who also lit up the Paris track with a world record a year ago. We take a look at Kipyegon’s and other star African performances over the weekend…
RECORD-BREAKING KIPYEGON DOES IT AGAIN – WOMEN’S 1500M, PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE
She may have kicked off her season a little later than usual because of a muscle injury, but Faith Kipyegon proved she has returned to the same sensational form that took her to three world records and two world titles last year. Returning to action in the 1500m, the remarkable Kenyan produced a decisive kick at the bell and stormed to victory in 4:49.04, bettering her own mark set in Florence last year by .07 of a second. It was an incredible race all round with Australian Jess Hull finishing second in a new Oceania record of 3:50.83 and Briton Laura Muir third in a national record of 3:53.79 with 12 women all finishing inside four minutes for the first time in history.
“It feels amazing to break the world record,” said Kipyegon. “I am in the right direction towards the Paris Olympics… With my injury, I was really scared, because I didn't know if I was going to make it. But I took my time and trusted my team and stayed out of competition for long. I will absolutely do the double in Paris, in the 1500m and 5000m.”
FASTEST SIX TIMES IN THE WORLD THIS YEAR – MEN’S 800M, PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE
A phenomenal showdown over two laps saw the six fastest times in the world this year being set in the men’s 800m with the top three all dipping under 1:42 in the same race for the first time in history. Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi arrived in Paris with the fastest time of the year, with both he and Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati unbeaten so far this season.
Sure enough, a massive battle ensued with 19-year-old Wanyonyi leading into the home straight. Sedjati then inched ahead and it looked like the Kenyan might chase him down, but the Algerian just edged it, with Frenchman Gabriel Tual also making a massive go of the final sprint. Sedjati took the win in a national record and world lead of 1:41.56 with Wanyonyi second by two hundredths of a second in 1:41.58 and Tual third in a national record of 1:41.61.
THRILLING FIGHT TO THE FINISH – MEN’S 3000M STEEPLECHASE, PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE
As so often is the case, the 3000m steeplechase produced a colossal clash between Ethiopia and Kenya and at the end of the seven and a half laps, it all came down to mere thousandths of a second. A thrilling sprint for the line saw Ethiopia’s Abrham Sime just edging his head in front of Amos Serem with both athletes producing lifetime bests in their bid for victory. Sime took the win in 8:02.36, the second fastest time in the world this season, with Serem second by two thousandths of a second in the photo finish. Another Kenyan, Abraham Kibiwot, was well back in third in 8:06.70.
GAMBIA’S BASS BITTAYE SECOND IN THE SPRINT – WOMEN’S 100M, PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE
It may not be the quickest she has been this year, but Gambia’s Gina Bass Bittaye finished a solid second in the women’s 100m. The newly crowned African champion has run a national record of 10.93 this season but crossed the line in 11.09 seconds on Sunday, finishing second behind Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken who took the win in 11.06.
UGANDA IN THE SPRINT MIX TOO – MEN’S 200M, PARIS DIAMOND LEAGUE
Tarsis Orogot is the man proving that Uganda does not only produce long-distance athletes. The 21-year-old University of Alabama student has run the fifth fastest time in the world this year over 200m (19.75), which saw him setting another national record. On Sunday he finished second in the 200m in Paris, crossing the line in 20.18 seconds with Dominican Alexander Oganda first in 19.98.
ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS HISTORY FOR ZANGO – MEN’S TRIPLE JUMP, FBK GAMES
Burkina Faso’s Hugues Fabrice Zango made history last year in claiming his country’s first ever world athletics title after leaping to triple jump gold in Budapest. At the FBK Games in the Netherlands on Sunday he showed he may be peaking at the right time in his bid to follow up that feat by securing Burkina Faso’s first ever Olympic gold, producing a season’s best and meet record jump of 17.57m in the final round to secure the win ahead of Algeria’s Yasser Triki (17.07m).
OMANYALA ON SONG IN HENGELO – MEN’S 100M, FBK GAMES
The soggy conditions in the Netherlands weren’t ideal for sprinting but Kenyan speed merchant Fernidand Omanyala still made sure of the win in the men’s 100m. Omanyala, who set a season’s best time of 9.79 seconds at the Kenyan trials last month, stormed to victory in 10.01 seconds to get the better of American Ronnie Baker (10.03) and Canada’s Olympic 200m champion Andre de Grasse (10.07).
NATIONAL RECORD FOR SA’S FOURIE – WOMEN’S 100M HURDLES, FBK GAMES
The women’s sprint hurdlers defied the cool and wet conditions in the Netherlands to produce a record-breaking race. Puerto Rico’s Olympic 100m hurdles champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn claimed first spot in a meeting record and season’s best time of 12.39 with Nadine Visser second in a Dutch national record of 12.46. Coming in third was Marioné Fourie who bettered the South African record of 12.55 seconds she set in Switzerland last year by crossing the finish in a speedy 12.49.