Ingebrigtsen and Duplantis break world records in Silesia

Jakob Ingebrigtsen shattered one of the longest standing track world records* on a sweltering afternoon at the Silesian Stadium on Sunday (25) as he clocked a staggering 7:17.55 for the 3000m, taking more than three seconds off the mark of 7:20.67 set by Kenya’s Daniel Komen in 1996.

And the 12th of this season’s Wanda Diamond League series ended on a dizzying high as Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.26m to earn his 10th pole vault world record, adding a centimetre to the mark he established in retaining his Olympic title in Paris earlier this month.

In a scintillating session watched by a record crowd of 42,357 which saw 10 meeting records set, Canada’s world 800m champion Marco Arop clocked 1:41.87 to beat Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy won against all odds in the men’s high jump.

It was a huge performance in the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial meeting for Ingebrigtsen, who lost his Olympic 1500m title in Paris earlier this month but won gold in the 5000m.

On the eve of the competition, the Norwgian had commented: “I’m excited about the race. The 3000m is a very good distance for me, and everything is lined up for something big.”

This was big. Already third on the world all-time list with the 7:23.63 he ran in Eugene last year, he knew there was a big gap even to the second best performance of 7:23.09, set by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.

But on this day Ingebrigtsen became a history man, moving clear of the field over the final lap after passing the bell with the green wavelight world record indicators scattering behind him as if they had fallen out of his pockets.

By the time the Norwegian hit the finishing straight he was, astonishingly, 10 metres clear of the snaking green lights and he put his hands to his head after crossing the line.

“It feels special, amazing,” said Ingebrigtsen. “I was hoping to challenge the world record here, but based on my training, I can never predict exactly what kind of time I am capable of. I would not have imagined I could run 7:17, though.

“At the beginning the pace felt really fast, but then I started to feel my way into the race and found a good rhythm. The 3000m is a tough distance. After 4-5 laps you feel the lactic acid, but you need to get going.

“The conditions were difficult with the heat today, but it is the same for everyone. I have a good team. We use ice vests, we make sure I stay hydrated and I am prepared.

“Now I want to challenge world records at all distances – but it is one step at a time.”

Etihopia’s Berihu Aregawi, the Olympic 10,000m silver medallist, produced the third best performance of all time as he crossed second in 7:21.28.

Duplantis proceeded in classic fashion in the pole vault, winning the competition with his third vault, at 6.00m, and then moving straight on to the world record height, which he cleared, amid a tumult of excitement, at his second attempt.

Joy was unbounded in this competition, as respective Olympic silver and bronze medallists, Sam Kendricks of the United States and Emmanouil Karalis of Greece had both cleared 6.00m – a season’s best for the first and a national record for the latter. It was the first time that three men have cleared six metres in one competition.

The newly-instituted MVP award to the athlete producing the best performance of the meeting, according to World Athletics points scoring, went to Duplantis, who thus took possession of a 14-carat gold, diamond champion ring worth $10,000 and an additional cheque for the same amount.

“It almost feels weird and unnatural to get so much love and support from the crowds when I compete,” said Duplantis.”I see that especially in Poland. The energy in this stadium just keeps getting better every year. My first world record also came in Poland, indoors in Torun, so I have great memories from here.

“The track here is wonderful, the conditions today were perfect, everything just came together to allow me to do this. I know a lot of people came here to see me jump, so I wanted to put in a good showing for them. This year I focused on the Olympics, record just came naturally because I was in good shape. So I am not surprised with the record today, but I am thankful.

“It is just about being in good shape and believing you can do it. I always want to jump as high as I possibly can and to keep pushing. I have never hit a jump that felt absolutely perfect, so I always feel like I can do better.”

On a normal day the most outstanding performance of the day would have been that of Arop as he finished comfortably clear of Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

The 20-year-old, who had moved to joint second on the all-time list three days earlier when clocking 1:41.11 at the Lausanne Diamond League meeting, was second behind Arop here in 1:43.23 from Bryce Hoppel of the United States, who clocked 1:43.32.

Arop was just shy of the1:41.20 he clocked in taking Olympic silver earlier this month, a performance that placed him fourth on world all-time list.

“Finally, I get the win,” Arop said. “I think this is my first win over Wanyonyi since last year at the World Champs, so it was a good race today. The world record, it is definitely going to go. I think in Brussels.”

Tamberi, whose performance in Paris was affected by kidney problems requiring last-minute hospital visits, secured an unlikely high jump victory here with a best of 2.31m.

Where there is Tamberi, there is drama. The 32-year-old Italian confessed on the eve of this meeting that he had no idea how he would fare.

He faced a potential exit at 2.18m before clearing at his third attempt, then went over 2.26m with his second effort. The game appeared to be up when he passed after one failure at 2.29m – a height that had been cleared first-time by Jamaica’s Jermaine Beckford, in what was a personal best, and second-time by Ukraine’s Oleh Doroshchuk.

But while the latter pair could go no further, Tamberi – lifted by the huge support – cleared 2.31m at the second attempt. New Zealand’s Olympic high jump champion Hamish Kerr went out at 2.22m.

Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo came under heavy pressure in the 200m before asserting himself over the final 20 metres to clock a meeting record of 19.83, with Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic second in a national record of 19.86 and Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek of the United States third in 20.00.

Marileidy Paulino, the Dominican Republic’s Olympic 400m champion, bettered the meeting record with 48.66 to win from Bahrain’s Olympic silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser, who clocked 49.23.

Olympic bronze medallist Kaczmarek came home third in 49.95, with Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke fourth in 50.00 – thus replicating the order of the Olympic final.

Femke Bol of the Netherlands won the 400m hurdles in a meeting record of 52.13, with Anna Cockrell of the United States, who beat her to Olympic silver in Paris, second in 52.88.

“The Olympics were tough, of course,” said Bol. “I would have liked to run a 51 today, but it is a win and a meeting record, so I have to be happy with the race.”

Diribe Welteji won the women’s 1500m in 3:57.08 ahead of compatriot Freweyni Hailu, who clocked 3:57.88, with Britain’s Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Bell third in 3:58.11.

Ackera Nugent of Jamaica set successive meeting records of 12.30 and 12.29 in the heats and final of the 100m hurdles. Grace Stark of the United States was second in 12.37, Jamaica’s double world champion Danielle Williams third in 12.38 and Masai Russell of the United States, the Olympic champion, fourth in 12.40.

Norway’s world 400m hurdles champion and record-holder Karsten Warholm, who took Olympic silver in Paris, clearly enjoyed getting back into winning mode as he finished well clear in a meeting record of 46.95.

Joe Kovacs of the United States, who took silver in Paris as his compatriot Ryan Crouser claimed a record third title, reversed that result with a best of 22.14m, although the Olympic champion came within two centimetres of that with the next throw, with Italy’s European champion Leonardo Fabbri taking third place on 22.03m.

Morocco’s Olympic steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali won in a season’s best of 8:04.29, although he almost lost as he slowed at the line as two of his challengers pressed, with Amos Serum taking second place in the same time and Samuel Firewu third in a personal best of 8:04.34.

Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts won the women’s triple jump with 14.50m, from Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez on 14.42m and Dariya Derkach of Italy on 14.02m.

The women’s javelin went to double European silver medallist Adriana Vilagos in a Serbian record of 65.60m, with Jo-Ane Van Dyk of South Africa second on 62.81m.

Tia Clayton of Jamaica won the women’s 100m in 10.83, from the Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta-Lou Smith, who had the same time.

Three days after losing his first post-Olympic race to Rasheed Broadbell, Olympic champion Grant Holloway had his revenge, but only just, as he crossed in 13.04 with the fast-finishing Jamaican taking second place by 0.01 in a non-scoring event on the programme.

Jamaica’s Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson did not start a men’s 100m final won by Olympic bronze medallist Fred Kerley of the United States in 9.87, equalling the meeting record.

In other non-Diamond League events, Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir set a world lead and meeting record of 2:31.24 in the women’s 1000m, Canada’s Olympic hammer champion Ethan Katzberg beat a field including Poland’s five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek and 2021 Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki with a best of 80.03m, while the women’s hammer was won with 76.19m by 2022 world champion Brooke Andersen of the United States.

Mike Rowbottom for World Athletics