Mykolas Alekna in action in Silesia (© Diamond League AG)
World record-holder Mykolas Alekna threw a Diamond League record in a dominant discus display, while Alison dos Santos, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Collen Kebinatshipi won a series of key clashes during the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia on Sunday (23).
Lithuania’s Alekna improved on his own Diamond League record of 71.70m set in London last year, launching the implement 72.58m to secure a statement win over global gold medallists Kristjan Čeh and Daniel Ståhl. All four of Alekna’s valid throws surpassed 71 metres, his record-breaking 72.58m coming in the fifth round. Čeh placed second with 68.93m, while Ståhl was third with 68.25m.
Mondo Duplantis was also among the world record-holders to triumph in Silesia. Back at the scene of the 10th of his now 15 world pole vault records – 6.26m in 2024 – the Swedish star cleared 6.20m to win the non-Diamond League contest, three days on from his 6.21m clearance to win in Lausanne.
His route to victory was not quite so smooth this time, as the multiple Olympic and world champion required two attempts at his opening height of 5.65m, 5.90m and 6.10m, but he clinched the win when he cleared 6.20m on his first try.
To the sounds of his latest song ‘Gold’, the Ultimate Anthem for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship taking place in Budapest on 11-13 September, Duplantis prepared to attempt a world record height of 6.32m but called it a day after one try at that bar. Emmanouil Karalis, who cleared 6.16m in Lausanne, attempted 6.20m but finished joint second with Sondre Guttormsen as they both managed a best of 6.00m.
Dos Santos sets world lead, Kebinatshipi wins 400m
Alison dos Santos improved his own world lead to win the 400m hurdles, the 2022 world champion beating world record-holder Karsten Warholm for the fourth time this season – 46.43 to 46.52. In a clash between two of the three quickest 400m hurdlers of all time, Dos Santos needed to produce the sixth-fastest performance in history to triumph, while Warholm’s 46.52 matched the 11th-fastest run of all time. Only Dos Santos, Warholm and Rai Benjamin have ever gone quicker. Matheus Lima finished third in a PB of 47.26.
Alison dos Santos pips Karsten Warholm in Silesia (© Diamond League AG)
Benjamin was in 400m action in Silesia and he finished second in a PB behind world champion Collen Kebinatshipi, who ran a meeting record of 43.59. That secured Kebinatshipi a fifth Diamond League win of a season in which he has twice improved the Diamond League record.
Benjamin, the Olympic and world champion in the 400m hurdles, put up a strong challenge and finished second in 43.83 – his first time under 44 seconds. After the race he shared an update on social media indicating that he intends to attempt a 400m and 400m hurdles double at the Ultimate Championship next month.
Paulino, Jefferson-Wooden and Seville top sprints
Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino dominated the 400m in trademark style, powering past her rivals off the final bend to win in 48.87. That secured her a fifth Diamond League win of the season with a sixth performance under 49 seconds this year. Nickisha Pryce was second in 49.49.
World champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden prevailed in a clash against Olympic champion Julien Alfred in the 100m, maintaining her win streak over the distance by equalling her season’s best of 10.78 (0.6m/s) ahead of Alfred in a season’s best of 10.83. Sha'Carri Richardson, the 2023 world champion, was third in 10.96.
World champion Oblique Seville won a hugely competitive men’s 100m in a meeting record of 9.83 (1.4m/s) to deny Kenny Bednarek who was second in 9.87. They had earlier won their heats in 9.90 and 10.03, respectively. All nine athletes in the final broke 10 seconds – a record for depth.
World record-holder Ja'Kobe Tharp rebounded after hitting a hurdle in Lausanne and jogging over the finish line in eighth place, winning the 110m hurdles in Silesia in 13.05 (-0.7m/s) ahead of Trey Cunningham (13.08) and Jamal Britt (13.09), who won in Lausanne.
Olympic 800m silver medallist Tsige Duguma impressed in only the fourth 1500m race of her career, running a world-leading PB of 3:55.06 after a storming finish to beat Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull (3:55.20) and world silver medallist Dorcus Ewoi (3:55.58). Klaudia Kazimierska was rewarded for her front-running efforts as she finished fourth in a Polish record of 3:55.59.
Tsige Duguma wins the 1500m in Silesia (© Diamond League AG)
Ethan Strand got the better of world U20 record-holder Phanuel Koech, Olympic champion Cole Hocker and two-time Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m. Strand attacked from some way back, kicking to victory in 3:30.77 ahead of Koech in 3:31.14, Hocker in 3:31.16 and Ingebrigtsen – returning to Diamond League competition for the first time since September 2024 following injury – in 3:31.19.
African champion Gemechu Godana surprised two-time world and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali, handing him a first Diamond League 3000m steeplechase defeat of the year. The 20-year-old Godana clocked a PB and meeting record of 8:02.74 ahead of runner-up El Bakkali in 8:04.61.
Nadia Battocletti followed her recent European double title win by getting her first Diamond League victory, clocking 14:54.09 to take the 5000m ahead of Freweyni Hailu (14:54.62).
Sarr joins 15-metre club
Senegal’s world indoor triple jump bronze medallist Saly Sarr broke the 22-year-old national record, soaring 15.08m to surpass 15 metres for the first time. She backed that up with another 15.00m leap and clinched her first Diamond League win ahead of world champion Leyanis Pérez Hernández (14.91m).
World record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh matched her own meeting record by clearing 2.00m to win the high jump ahead of her Ukrainian compatriot Iryna Gerashchenko (1.98m).
Canada’s Olympic and world champions Ethan Katzberg and Camryn Rogers won the non-Diamond League hammer contests, respectively throwing 82.92m and 77.09m. In other non-Diamond League action, Leonardo Fabbri won the shot put (22.08m) and Alaysha Johnson the 100m hurdles (12.52).
A series of field events kicked off the action during a city competition on the eve of the main meeting on Saturday (22).
Alyssa Jones and Agate de Sousa both leapt a meeting record of 6.98m to top the long jump, Jones taking the win on countback. In a close contest, Monae’ Nichols was third (6.95m) and Jazmin Sawyers fourth (6.84m).
Gianmarco Tamberi won the high jump with a clearance of 2.31m, while Chase Jackson threw a meeting record and season’s best of 20.92m to win the non-Diamond League shot put ahead of Jessica Schilder (20.20m). Schilder is the only athlete to have thrown farther than Jackson’s 20.92m this year.
