Nickisha Pryce in action at the Diamond League meeting in London (© Getty Images)
Nickisha Pryce, Femke Bol and Matt Hudson-Smith displayed sensational form over a lap of the track at the London Athletics Meet on Saturday (20), the final Wanda Diamond League meeting ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
At a meeting with a sell-out crowd of almost 60,000 people, Pryce and Bol set Diamond League records in the women’s 400m flat and 400m hurdles respectively, while Hudson-Smith smashed his own European record in the men’s 400m.
Pryce, who had won the NCAA title last month in a Jamaican record of 48.89, was making her Diamond League debut but clearly wasn’t intimidated by the occasion. Lieke Klaver of the Netherlands led to half way, as she often does. But Pryce kicked hard coming off the final bend and pulled away from European champion Natalia Kaczmarek, charging through the line in 48.57.
Not only is that mark a Diamond League record – bettering the 48.97 set by Shaunae Miller-Uibo in Monaco exactly six years ago to the day – it also elevates Pryce to seventh on the world all-time list, ahead of the likes of Cathy Freeman and Sanya Richards-Ross.
Kaczmarek crossed the line in second in 48.90, taking 0.08 off the Polish record she set at the European Championships and marking just the seventh time in history in which two women have bettered 49 seconds in the same race.
Klaver (49.58), Amber Anning (49.63) and Laviai Nielsen (49.87) also finished inside 50 seconds.
One week after breaking her own European record in the 400m hurdles, Bol returned to the scene of one of her previous European record-breaking performances and produced the second-fastest time of her career.
Rushell Clayton matched Bol through the first half, but the world champion pulled away over the final 200 metres to win comfortably in 51.30 – a 0.15 improvement on the Diamond League record she set at this meeting last year. Shamier Little came through to take second spot in 52.78 ahead of Clayton (53.24).
"I truly love running here in this stadium," said Bol. "I'm excited for Paris and I'm looking forward to racing Sydney (McLaughlin-Levrone, the world record-holder and defending Olympic champion). I will be ready for it."
Femke Bol on her way to a Diamond League record in London (© Getty Images)
Hudson-Smith extended his winning streak in the men’s 400m, producing a run that strengthens his status as a gold medal contender heading into the Olympics.
The world silver medallist led from the outset and opened up a significant gap over USA’s Vernon Norwood and Jereem Richards to win in 43.74, becoming the first European man to run inside 44 seconds and moving to 12th on the world all-time list.
Norwood (44.10), Richards (44.20) and Charlie Dobson (44.23) were all rewarded with PBs. Kirani James – who won Olympic gold on this track 12 years ago – was fifth in a season’s best of 44.38.
British records for Hodgkinson and women’s 4x100m team
Moments before Hudson-Smith’s record-breaking run, there were also national records in the women’s 800m, courtesy of Keely Hodgkinson, and in the women’s 4x100m.
Hodgkinson, the world and Olympic silver medallist, went through half way in 56.5, almost a full second behind the pacemaker and just ahead of compatriot Jemma Reekie. She then kicked hard coming off the final bend and pulled well clear to win by exactly one second in 1:54.61.
Keely Hodgkinson celebrates her 800m world lead and national record in London (© Getty Images)
The time moved Hodgkinson up to sixth on the world all-time list, ahead of arch rival Athing Mu. Reekie was rewarded with a PB of 1:55.61 while 1500m specialist Georgia Bell smashed her PB with 1:56.28 in third. It was just the second race in history in which eight women have bettered 1:58.
"I just wanted to go for it and see what was there," said Hodgkinson. "It was a bit of bravery and fearlessness. I didn't want to waste the opportunity."
US champion Gabby Thomas came from behind to win the women’s 200m in a meeting record of 21.82 (-0.9m/s). Dina Asher-Smith led into the home straight, but Thomas and world indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred were locked in their own battle in lanes six and seven, pushing one another into the lead.
Thomas edged ahead of the St Lucian in the closing stages to take victory as Alfred finished second in a national record of 21.86. Asher-Smith was third in 22.07 ahead of Daryll Neita, both setting season’s bests.
Earlier in the day, the British duo teamed up with Imani Lansiquot and Amy Hunt in the 4x100m, winning in a world-leading 41.55, equalling the national record they set at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Elsewhere in the sprints, world champion Noah Lyles battled all the way through the 100m to win in a lifetime best of 9.81 (-0.3m/s). Akani Simbine and Letsile Tebogo put up a strong challenge for most of the way, but eventually had to settle for second (9.86) and third (9.88) respectively.
Brazil’s 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos was a convincing winner of the men’s 400m hurdles in 47.18. Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke produced a season’s best of 47.63 to take second, which Qatar’s Ismail Doudai Abakar smashed his lifetime best by almost a second to finish third in 47.72.
Fabbri and Little defeat world champions in throws
World champions Ryan Crouser and Haruka Kitaguchi both suffered rare defeats as Leonardo Fabbri took the men’s shot put and Mackenzie Little won the women’s javelin.
Crouser, who has competed sparingly this year due to a niggling elbow injury, took an early lead in the shot put with 22.23m. By the half-way point, he led a US 1-2-3 from Payton Otterdahl (22.13m) and Joe Kovacs (22.03m).
In the penultimate round, though, Fabbri found his rhythm and landed his shot at 22.52m. Crouser responded with 22.37m but the standings didn’t change, giving the Italian the victory.
Leonardo Fabbri in action in London (© Matthew Quine / Diamond League AG)
Little, throwing second in the starting order, launched her spear out to a PB of 66.27m in the opening round, moving her to second on this year’s world list and making her the fifth Australian woman to throw beyond 66 metres.
It remained the best mark of the day, but Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos came close with her fifth-round national record of 65.58m. USA’s Maggie Malone-Hardin was third (62.99m) and Kitaguchi fourth (62.69m).
World champion Nina Kennedy overcame a mid-competition scare to win the women’s pole vault. The Australian needed three attempts to get over 4.65m, but then went on to clear 4.85m to secure the win ahead of Canada’s Alysha Newman (4.75m). World indoor champion Molly Caudery was third (4.65m) and Olympic champion Katie Moon eighth (4.50m).
Following a last-minute withdrawal of Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim, world indoor champion Hamish Kerr won the men’s high jump with 2.30m.
Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo returned to winning ways in the women’s long jump, her opening leap of 6.87m standing up as the best mark of the day. Agate de Sousa produced a final-round leap of 6.75m to move into second.
European 10,000m champion Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu outsprinted USA’s Grant Fisher to win the men’s 3000m in a meeting record of 7:27.68, the fastest time in the world this year on an outdoor track. Fisher was second in 7:27.99 and Kenya’s Edwin Kurgat third (7:28.53).
After a dramatic start in which three athletes took a tumble, the men’s Emsley Carr mile was won by Australia’s Ollie Hoare. The Australian held off a strong challenge from world bronze medallist Narve Gilje Nordas to win in 3:49.03, finishing 0.03 ahead of the Norwegian.
Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics
