Bolingo breaks Belgian best, Rojas leaps world-leading 14.71m

Cynthia Bolingo delighted the home supporters at the KBC Night of Athletics, winning the 300m in a Belgian record of 36.54 at the World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting in Heusden-Zolder on Sunday (6).

The European indoor silver medallist won by almost one second from Camille Laus to break a national record that had stood for 21 years. Less than an hour earlier, Bolingo had finished third in the 100m in 11.75.

“I’m so happy and grateful that I was able to finish my season with this national record,” she said.

In the high jump, Australia’s Nicola McDermott notched up her fourth consecutive victory within the space of nine days, winning with 1.96m. After clearing her winning height, she went on to take one attempt at 1.98m – which would have equalled her recent PB – and then used her two remaining attempts to get a feel for 2.00m.

In-form Spanish middle-distance runner Esther Guerrero – who has set PBs at 800m, 1000m, 1500m and 2000m in recent weeks – won the 1500m in 4:05.45 finishing a stride ahead of Belgium’s Elise Vanderelst 4:05.76, both women running the second-best times of their careers.

The men’s middle-distances were also close with Spain’s Saul Ordonez holding off Kenya’s Collins Kipruto to win the 800m, 1:45.71 to 1:45.93, as Djoao Lobles also crept under 1:46 in third (1:45.98).

France’s Quentin Tison produced a PB of 3:36.85 to win the 1500m from Kenya’s Boaz Kiprugat (3:36.97) and Spain’s Mohamed Katir (3:37.18).

Noelie Yarigo, one of the most-used pacemakers on the Diamond League circuit, showed she is a great competitor in her own right and won the 800m convincingly in 2:00.78.

World leads from Rojas and Ramsden

World champion Yulimar Rojas extended her season’s best to a world-leading 14.71m to win the triple jump at a low-key competition in Castellon on Saturday (5).

The world indoor record-holder had opened her outdoor season in mid-August at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, winning with a modest 14.27m. Today in Castellon, however, she returned to producing the big jumps for which she is known.

After a foul in the opening round, she landed at 14.47m in round two and almost matched that in the third round with 14.42m. As she did when setting her indoor (15.43m) and outdoor (15.41m) PBs, Rojas saved her best for the last round as she bounded out to 14.71m (0.7m/s).

In the Italian town of San Donato Milanese, Australia’s Matthew Ramsden clocked a world-leading 3:51.23 to win the mile. The 23-year-old’s time puts him third on the Australian all-time list. Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa was second in 3:52.08, just ahead of another Australian, Ryan Gregson (3:52.38).

Sweden defeats Finland at Finnkampen

Helped by some top-class throwing from world discus champion Daniel Stahl, Sweden came out on top at Finnkampen, the long-running annual Finland vs Sweden match, in Tampere on Sunday (6).

On Saturday, the first day of action, Stahl dominated the discus with two throws beyond 69 metres, his best a 69.20m effort in the third round, just 22 centimetres shy of the competition record he set last year. He led a Swedish 1-2-3 in that event with compatriots Simon Pettersson (63.79m) and Jakob Gardenkrans (56.93m) finishing behind him.

Finland excelled in the men’s hammer, though, with Aaron Kangas throwing 76.74m to lead a Finnish sweep of the podium spots. World bronze medallist Perseus Karlstrom won the men’s 10,000m race walk for Sweden in 39:24.47.

Although Finland bagged maximum points in the men's javelin, thanks to an 80.45m winning throw from Toni Kuusela, Sweden was better across the board and won the men's contest, 206 points to Finland's 201.

The 'away' team was more dominant in the women's contest (221 points to Finland's 186), helped by victories from Angelica Bengtsson in the pole vault (4.73m) and Khaddi Sagnia in the long jump (6.62m).

Coppell breaks national pole vault record at British Championships

Harry Coppell scaled a UK record of 5.85m to win the pole vault at the British Championships, producing the highlight of the two-day competition in Manchester.

The 2013 world U18 champion entered the competition at 5.42m, the rest of the field having exited at that point. He got over it on his first try, then did the same at 5.62m. He needed three attempts to clear 5.72m, then moved the bar straight up to 5.85m.

On his final try at the record height, he cleared the bar without touching it, adding two centimetres to the outright UK record of 5.83m set indoors by Luke Cutts in 2014.

Aimee Pratt was a woman on a mission in the steeplechase, setting off in pursuit of a PB from the opening lap. She went on to win by more than 15 seconds, clocking a world-leading PB of 9:30.73, breaking the championship record in the process. Rosie Clarke was second in 9:46.31.

Jessie Knight was similarly dominant in the 400m hurdles, winning in 55.80.

Both 800m finals were fiercely competitive. Jake Wightman, who broke into sub-3:30 territory in the 1500m in Monaco last month, looked poised to strike as he tracked the early leader for the first 600m, having covered the first lap in 51.94. But as he entered the home straight in the lead, Daniel Rowden came striding down the home straight and passed Wightman in the closing stages to win in 1:45.94, the fastest winning time at the British Championships since 1992.

European U20 champion Isabelle Boffey led for the first lap of the women’s final before European U23 silver medallist Ellie Baker took up the running with 200 metres to go. Her lead was short-lived, however, as 18-year-old Keely Hodgkinson kicked into pole position on the final bend and went on to win comfortably in 2:03.24.

Elsewhere, Imani Lansiquot won the 100m in a marginally wind-assisted 11.26 (2.1m/s) from world U20 bronze medallist Kristal Awuah (11.34) and European U20 200m champion Amy Hunt (11.35).

Jazmin Sawyers, the 2016 European silver medallist, won the long jump with 6.69m while Laviai Nielsen dominated the 400m, winning in 51.72.

Laura Weightman and George Mills showed a great turn of speed to win the 1500m titles. Weightman out-kicked Jessica Judd to win the women’s crown in 4:09.76. 2016 European U18 800m champion Mills, meanwhile, produced a 52-second last lap to overtake world finalist Neil Gourley, 3:51.39 to 3:51.54.

Jon Mulkeen for World Athletics