Diamond League Action
The Silesia Diamond League meeting concluded Sunday, just two days after the Lausanne meet, with Canada's Marco Arop and Andre De Grasse both in action across highly competitive races.
After a month-long break, the international circuit resumed on Friday in Lausanne, Switzerland, and while the meet delivered fast and competitive racing, meeting records stole the show in Silesia, Poland.
World record tease
Marco Arop has been vocal this season about pursuing the 800m world record of 1:40.91 set by Kenya's David Rudisha in 2012. Arop showed his form at the Paris meeting with a world-leading 1:41.84, and in Lausanne he went out aggressively trying to make history.
Arop passed 400m in 48.86, ahead of world-record pace, and looked strong heading into the final 200m. However, the lactic acid buildup appeared to catch up with him in the final stretch as he faded over the closing metres to finish fourth, in 1:43.18. He didn’t get the record in Lausanne, but his pursuit of the mark will make him one to watch every time he steps on the track.
Switzerland's Audrey Werro delivered a standout performance at her home meet in Lausanne, running 1:55.33 to set a meet record. Though given her own pursuit of the world record, many wondered whether she could finally break the 1:53.28 mark.
Werro fell short in Lausanne, but with the Zurich Diamond League meeting on Thursday featuring the deepest field of the season, including Werro, the possibility of a world record remains.
World leads and meeting records
| Discipline | Meeting Record | World Lead |
|---|---|---|
| Men's 100m | 9.83 | - |
| Women's 1,500m | - | 3:55.06 |
| Men's 1,500m | - | - |
| Men's 3,000m Steeplechase | 8:02.74 | - |
Of the 15 Diamond League disciplines contested in Silesia across track and field events, six set meeting records.
The men's 100m final was one of the fastest and closest races of the season, with all nine runners dipping under 10 seconds. De Grasse finished sixth, clocking 9.96, with only six-hundredths of a second separating ninth from third. Jamaica's Oblique Seville pulled away from the rest of the field to win, in a meeting record of 9.83.
The women's 1,500m also featured one of the deepest fields of the season and produced another closely contested race. Ethiopia's Tsige Duguma shocked the field to win in a PB and a world-leading 3:55.06 after a fast final 100 metres to outdip Australia's Jessica Hull, who finished in 3:55.20, extending her streak of silver medals to three consecutive races. Kenya's Dorcus Ewoi also ran a season's best of 3:55.58 to finish third.
The upsets
One of Silesia's biggest upsets came in the men's 1,500m, where Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen fell to fourth in his return to the distance, clocking 3:31.19. Ingebrigtsen is still making his comeback from injury, but after successfully defending his 5,000m title at the European Championships, he appeared confident heading into the race.
Cole Hocker of the U.S. got the better of Ingebrigtsen in their rematch, finishing third in 3:31.16. Meanwhile, American Ethan Strand continued his strong rise in the event, winning in 3:30.77 for his second Diamond League victory.
Also in Silesia, 20-year-old Gemechu Godana of Ethiopia delivered another major upset in the men's 3,000m steeplechase, taking down two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco. Godana pulled away after the final water jump to win, in a PB and meeting record of 8:02.74, while Bakkali finished just behind him in 8:04.61, his first defeat of the season.
The Silesia Diamond League meeting was one of the most competitive of the season, with several athletes pushing themselves to new heights. The meet will be remembered for its meeting records and world leads, and athletes will be looking to build on their performances in the coming weeks.
