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Sweden’s undisputed pole vault king Armand Duplantis ended an unbeaten season with another fantastic victory at the Diamond League final in Brussels on Friday.
It was his 15th and final victory in a year in which he improved his own world record three times, by 6.26 metres.
The American-born Swede once again found himself a million miles away from the competition at the King Baudouin Stadium, in cold conditions.
He only jumped three times, 5.62m, 5.92m and 6.11m, the latter a new meeting record. Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis finished second with 5.82m, ahead of local favourite Ben Broeders.
“My legs were terrible tonight and I’m really tired,” admitted Duplantis, who had to face hurdles star Karsten Warholm in a 100m exhibition race in Zurich last week.
“It took a lot more out of my body than I expected. With 6.11 metres I got a good result, but the world record was not supposed to be broken tonight.”
Duplantis added: “Now it’s time to celebrate my beautiful season: I will certainly drink some good Belgian beers tonight!”
The opening session of the two-day finals of the elite athletics circuit was a high-octane affair, with a significant percentage of some of the 82 medallists from the Paris Olympics in attendance.
Olympic champion Julien Alfred took victory in the 100m while his American rival Sha’Carri Richardson finished a long way behind.
It was Richardson who won in Zurich last week, beating Alfred on the line.
But the St Lucia sprinter turned the tables at the right moment, clocking 10.88 seconds for the win. Richardson slowed well before the finish line, knowing she had been soundly beaten, and eventually finished eighth out of nine women in 11.23 seconds.
“I’m so happy, it’s amazing to end my season on a high note and get the win,” said Alfred.
– Well played cameo –
American star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone played her role to perfection.
The 25-year-old, who improved her own world record by winning back-to-back Olympic 400m hurdles gold medals in Paris, had not competed in a Diamond League event this season and was therefore ineligible for the final.
But organizers managed to lure McLaughlin-Levrone, who won a second Olympic gold medal in Paris with the U.S. 4x400m relay team, to Belgium to compete in invitational 200m and 400m flat races to “honor” her Olympic achievements.
She won her 400m heat in 49.11 seconds, which was better than world and Olympic champion Marileidy’s winning time of 49.45 seconds in the 400m final.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen held off strong competition to claim victory in the highly competitive men’s 1,500m in 3:30.37.
The Tokyo Olympic champion missed out on the podium in the French capital, but he made up for it, once again resisting Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot and Paris Games winner Cole Hocker.
Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the world and Olympic champion and world record holder, claimed her eighth consecutive Diamond League victory with a best throw of 1.97m, beating Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers on countback.
But Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and two-time world champion, suffered a rare defeat in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.
Kenyan Amos Serem took the win in 8:06.90, with the Moroccan finishing second in 8:08.60.
Jamaican Ackeem Blake won the men’s 100m in 9.93 seconds ahead of Americans Christian Coleman (10.00) and Fred Kerley (10.01), Olympic bronze medallist and 2022 world champion.
Blake’s teammate Tajay Gayle, a world bronze medallist, won the long jump with a season’s best of 8.28m, with Olympic champion Militadis Tentoglou coming third, 1cm behind Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (8.16m).
And there was a surprise victory for Britain’s Charles Dobson in the men’s 400m, winning in 44.49 seconds.
American Valarie Allman won the women’s discus throw with a record 68.47m, echoing the sentiments of many athletes after a long year in athletics.
“It’s low season now! I can’t wait to try your fries, waffles and chocolate!”
lp/dmc
