Crouser, Arop, Vissa and Bett among meeting record-breakers in Zagreb

Ryan Crouser knew that a big throw was coming. Competing at the Ivan Ivancic Memorial on the eve of the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial in Zagreb on Saturday (7), the shot put star twice improved the meeting record and set a season’s best of 22.93m to triumph at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event.

The following day, at the city’s Sports Park Mladost, another seven meeting records were set, including a 2:13.13 1000m by Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop, a 3000m steeplechase performance of 8:06.33 by Leonard Bett and a 3:58.33 1500m by Sintayehu Vissa.

Five weeks on from claiming an unprecedented third consecutive Olympic men’s shot put title in Paris, Crouser threw 22.90m to match the mark he achieved to get that gold and then went even farther, improving by another three centimetres in the final round to secure success in front of the Zagreb Fountains in style.

In a contest of impressive depth, his US compatriot Payton Otterdahl was second with an outdoor PB of 22.46m, while Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell improved his Jamaican record to 22.31m to place third and Italy’s world silver medallist Leonardo Fabbri threw 22.24m for fourth. In only two other men's shot put competitions in history has the fourth-place mark been farther.

Crouser had explained ahead of the competition that it still felt like early season to him, due to the series of injury struggles that delayed his opener. Pleased with his consistency since Paris – as he threw 22.12m in Silesia, 22.49m in Rome and 22.66m in Zurich – he knew he was in good form.

"It was a fantastic competition. I always love coming to Zagreb and I think that this one topped the list," said Crouser. "Not just on performance, but the atmosphere and the energy tonight. You can see it with all the athletes – 22.24m didn't even make the podium, that's a crazy result. I am glad that everyone performed that well here.

"My first round throw of 22.36m usually is enough for the win, especially that late in the season. It helped having those guys to push me to farther distances. I am still on less than 10 competitions this year, so it still feels like I am finding my shape."

Arop, Vissa and Bett light up the track

On Sunday (8), some four weeks after becoming an Olympic silver medallist, Canada’s Arop had refocused on records and had the global 1000m mark in his sights. While Noah Ngeny’s 25-year-old world record of 2:11.96 survived another day, Arop did achieve one of the fastest times in history as he ran a North American record of 2:13.13 to set one of the seven meeting records of the day.

The performance puts him fifth on the world all-time list and saw him win by more than two seconds, with USA’s Jonah Koech claiming the runner-up spot in a PB of 2:15.15.

On a warm evening in the Croatian capital, the pacemakers reached 400m in 51.72, but Arop decided to sit back off the tempo. As the pacemaker stepped aside, Arop took control and hit 800m in 1:43.94.

The man who set a North American record of 1:41.20 to secure his Olympic 800m silver in Paris had a big final 200m ahead. With the clock ticking closer to 2:11, he powered down the home straight and crossed the finish line a couple of seconds later.

“I felt good,” he said. “I think to beat the world record I need to be more aggressive early on, but there was just too much room to make up for. Overall it was a big season with a personal best, an Olympic medal and a lot of Diamond League wins. In Brussels (Diamond League final) I would like to go after the world record (in the 800m), but the conditions have to be ideal.”

Kenya’s Bett couldn’t hide his delight at smashing the meeting record in the 3000m steeplechase. The 23-year-old, who finished fourth at the World Championships last year, hadn’t raced since July as he continues his return after injury, but he made a comeback in style, running a PB of 8:06.33 to make him the sixth fastest men’s 3000m steeplechaser this year.

He was followed by Olympic finalists Ahmed Jaziri of Tunisia and Morocco’s Mohamed Tindouft, who respectively ran 8:08:11 and 8:11.56.

There was a similar celebration at the end of the women’s 1500m by Italy’s Vissa, who threw her arms in the air on reaching the line, with a sub-four-minute finish in her sights. The top three all broke the previous meeting record and dipped under 4:00, with Vissa running 3:58.33, Britain's Katie Snowden clocking 3:59.39 and Australia’s Linden Hall 3:59.72.

Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir kicked to a meeting record in the women’s 800m, running a PB of 1:57.00 to hold off Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin. Goule-Toppin had been to the fore as the pacemaker stepped aside at 400m, reached in 56.31 on meeting record pace. But Chepchirchir strode ahead on the final bend and although Goule-Toppin tried to respond down the home straight, she couldn’t match her rival’s finishing strength and finished second in 1:57.43. The top four all went sub 1:58, as Ethiopia’s Nigist Getachew was third in a PB of 1:57.47 and USA’s Sage Hurta-Klecker fourth in a PB of 1:57.53.

Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli ran away with the 2000m, running a PB and meeting record of 4:54.29 to win by more than a second. He led the top seven under 4:57 and was chased home by USA’s Cooper Teare and John Reniewicki, who respectively ran PBs of 4:55.42 and 4:55.54.

Another meeting record fell in the women’s 400m, as Jamaica’s Stacey-Ann Williams went out hard and held on, also improving her PB with a 50.00 run. The Olympic and world relay medallist was clearly ahead off the final bend and while Norway’s Henriette Jaeger used a strong finish to close the gap, she couldn’t quite catch Williams and claimed the runner-up spot in 50.22. Holding on for third was USA's world 400m hurdles silver medallist Shamier Little in 50.58.

USA’s Courtney Lindsey dipped under 10 seconds to take the men’s 100m win, clocking a season’s best of 9.97 (-0.2m/s) to deny Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, who finished 0.05 back. Britain’s Romell Glave, who won an earlier race in 10.13 (-0.6m/s), was third this time in 10.11.

It was a battle between Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye of The Gambia and Jamaica's Shashalee Forbes in the women’s 100m and Bass Bittaye had the edge, crossing in 11.13 (-0.7m/s) ahead of Forbes in 11.23. USA's Jenna Prandini was third in 11.30.

USA’s Olympic fourth-place finisher Erriyon Knighton broke 20 seconds to win the 200m, clocking 19.93 (-0.6m/s) ahead of Joseph Fahnbulleh and Lindsey, who had both already run the 100m. Roko Farkas, the decathlete who recently won the long jump title at the World U20 Championships in Lima, delighted home fans with his 20.67 Croatian record.

Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent continued her winning ways in the 100m hurdles after victories in Rome and Silesia, the world fifth-place finisher cruising over the finish in 12.55 (-0.5m/s). Britain’s Cindy Sember started well and held on for second in 12.67, while USA’s Kendra Harrison was third in 12.76. Japan’s Yumi Tanaka won the B race in 12.97 (-0.8m/s).

The 110m hurdles was a real battle for the line and Japan’s Rachid Muratake, the fifth-place finisher at the Olympics in Paris, got there first to beat two global medallists. Dipping in 13.14 (-0.5m/s), he denied USA’s Olympic silver medallist Daniel Roberts by 0.04, with Jamaica's Tokyo Olympic champion Hansle Parchment following them in third in 13.25.

Karalis carries fine form to Zagreb

Olympic pole vault bronze medallist Emmanouil Karalis cleared six metres for the first time at the Diamond League meeting in Silesia and he had more cause for celebration in Zagreb as he cleared 5.88m to break the meeting record.

He entered the competition at 5.58m, which he cleared first time, and then passed to 5.78m, which he managed on his second try. After passing the next height he needed all three attempts to make it over 5.88m and although he brushed the bar on his third attempt, it stayed up and that was enough to clinch him the win. He went on to have three attempts at 6.01m.

USA’s two-time world champion Sam Kendricks was second on 5.78m.

As expected, the women’s discus was a battle between USA’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Valarie Allman and home favourite Sandra Elkasevic, the Olympic bronze medallist.

Making her 17th appearance at the meeting, Elkasevic closed her campaign with 67.12m – her best of the evening – but that wasn’t quite enough to remove Allman from top spot. Allman also ended on a high, throwing 67.83m in round six after earlier throws of 67.74m and 67.45m. Jorinde Van Klinken was third with 64.49m.

Serbia’s Adriana Vilagos improved the national record of 65.60m she set in Silesia a couple of weeks ago, launching the javelin 65.64m to claim a dominant win. Four of her throws would have been enough to triumph, as she backed up that third-round throw with marks of 64.70m, 64.45m and 63.20m. Czechia’s Petra Sicakova was second with 60.91m and home favourite Sara Kolak third with 60.23m.

Ukraine’s Olympic bronze medallist Mykhaylo Kokhan turned the tables on Canada’s Olympic champion Ethan Katzberg in the men's hammer, throwing a PB of 81.14m to surpass 81 metres for the first time. It was close for second place, Poland’s five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek taking it ahead of Katzberg – 79.10m to 79.04m.

Slovenia’s 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh finished fourth in Paris but won at the Rome Diamond League and he took that form with him to Zagreb. He took top spot with his fourth-round throw of 67.95m, ahead of Lawrence Okoye, Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny and Olympic champion Roje Stona.

The long jump events in the city centre on Friday (6) were won by USA’s double Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Moore and Jamaica's Shawn-D Thompson. Moore jumped 6.71m in the second round and that clinched her the victory ahead of Romania's Alina Rotaru-Kottmann with 6.56m. The men's contest was decided by countback, to the third-best jump, as Thompson and Uzbekistan's Anvar Anvarov had identical top two marks of 7.99m and 7.94m. In the end, Thompson was confirmed the winner with his superior third-best jump of 7.90m.

Jess Whittington for World Athletics