Lisek tops six metres in Lausanne – IAAF Diamond League

Polish pole vaulter Piotr Lisek climbed to a share of the 10th spot on the world all-time list at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Friday (5), smashing the Athletissima meeting record with a lifetime best of 6.01m.

The world silver medallist put together a blemish-free series up to and including a meeting record height of 5.95m. But so too did world champion Sam Kendricks, leaving the two men tied for first place.

The bar moved to 6.01m and the duo recorded their first misses of the night, both failing three times. Still tied, the bar remained at 6.01m for the first jump-off attempt. Lisek finally went clear while Kendricks opted against attempting it, giving the Pole his first win at an IAAF Diamond League meeting since Monaco in 2017.

“This is one of the best days of my life,” said Lisek. “I’m so happy as I work so hard for these moments. To beat Sam and Armand today is a dream.

“I think one of the main factors today is that my body is in great shape and I was so focused on that last jump,” he added. “I have the meeting record, the world lead, the national record and a personal best. I know all my competitors will be motivated by this and are out to beat me now.”

European champion Armand Duplantis finished third with a best of 5.81m but had a close attempt at 6.01m. World record-holder Renaud Lavillenie enjoyed a big improvement on his season’s best, finishing in equal third place with 5.81m.

Ibarguen and Lasitskene keep their cool

IAAF Female Athlete of the Year Caterine Ibarguen came under some serious pressure in the triple jump, but pulled out a season’s best of 14.89m in the penultimate round to take a seven-centimetre victory over world champion Yulimar Rojas.

Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts took an early lead with 14.65m, only to be surpassed by Rojas’s second-round leap of 14.82m, taking off 14 centimetres behind the board. Cuba’s Liadagmis Povea jumped 14.66m in round two and a lifetime best of 14.77m in round four.

Going into the fifth round, Ibarguen was down in fourth place with a best of 14.57m but then unleashed her winning leap to maintain her lead at the top of the Diamond League triple jump standings. For the first time ever outside of a major championship, eight women jumped beyond 14.35m.

“I’m very happy with my victory tonight and with the quality of my jumps,” said Ibarguen. “Even if not all were valid, they were all pretty good technically speaking.”

Two-time world champion Mariya Lasitskene notched up another IAAF Diamond League win, this time clearing 2.02m. But she had world U20 champion Karyna Taranda for company up to and including that height.

Taranda, just 20 years old, cleared 2.00m on her first attempt to equal the Belarusian record but bowed out of the competition with three misses at 2.02m. Lasitskene managed to get over that height on her third try and then moved the bar up to 2.07m, exiting the competition with a couple of close attempts.

Despite struggling to hit the board, world indoor champion Juan Miguel Echevarria came away from the long jump victorious.

The young Cuban sailed out to 8.32m in round two, taking off 30 centimetres behind the plasticine. He followed it with a leap of 8.11m, this time 42 centimetres shy of the plasticine.

His second-round leap proved sufficient to win, though, as Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou finished second with 8.19m.

Hussong and Schwanitz land German throws double

Barbora Spotakova set the javelin alight in the first round with a throw of 63.79m, but the multiple world and Olympic champion didn’t take any further throws after experiencing some discomfort in her achilles. European champion Christin Hussong capitalised in the second round with a season’s best of 66.59m, which remained the best mark of the competition and gave the German the first Diamond League win of her career.

Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber, fresh from winning the Oceanian title, moved into second place with 65.08m in round three and then set a lifetime best of 65.63m in the final round. Spotakova’s first-round throw was ultimately good enough for third place.

Christina Schwanitz made it a German throws double. The 2015 world champion led the shot put from the first round, opening with 18.68m and improving to 19.04m in round four. All five of her valid throws would have been enough to win.

World champion Justin Gatlin was a clear winner of the men’s 100m, a non-scoring race, clocking 9.92 with Michael Rodgers finishing second in 10.01.

Although the women’s 200m in Lausanne was a non-scoring event this year, Gabrielle Thomas returned to the scene of her first IAAF Diamond League triumph from 12 months ago and once again came out on top, winning in a season’s best of 22.69.

In other non-scoring disciplines, Nelly Jepkosgei won the 800m in 1:59.54 and Luke Campbell held off a fast-finishing Rasmus Magi to win the 400m hurdles by 0.002 in 49.54.

Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF