Records tumble on night one of Diamond League circuit

Tonight the 2015 Diamond League circuit kicked off in Doha and kicked off in style. The pre-competition line-ups boasted a number of World and Olympic champions, and with some of the strongest fields the athletes delivered.

The women’s Long Jump began precedings with four women jumping over 6.90. It was American Tianna Bartoletta with a new world lead of 6.99 who took the win narrowly from an equal national record from Shara Procter of 6.95. Lorraine Ugen produced a season’s best of 6.92 to finish fourth.

In what was the event of the night and perhaps best triple jump competition in history, Cuba’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo bettered his personal best by 10cm to 18.06m ranking him third on the all-time list. Olympic champion Christian Taylor also produced a new lifetime best of 18.04 to see him go equal fourth.

This was the first time in history that two men have gone over 18 metres in the same competition and in this early in the season surely puts a countdown on the World Record going. World champion Teddy Tamgho only managed a best of 17.24 on the night after rupturing his Achilles’ tendon midway through the competition.

The men’s 400mH featured double World and Olympic champion Felix Sanchez, triple World champion Bershawn Jackson and multiple World and Olympic medallist Javier Culson. The win went to Jackson of the USA in a new world leading and meet record time of 48.09. British hurdler Jack Green also returned to the Diamond League with a promising 49.31.

The men’s 100m was once again dominated by the American duo of Justin Gatlin and Mike Rodgers. Gatlin blew away the rest of the field in a one-man show, somewhat easing up to a 9.74 clocking to take him to fifth on the all-time list. Britain’s James Dasaolu finished eighth in a time of 10.14 seconds.

American Jasmine Stowers stole the show in the women’s 100mH, chopping another few hundredths off her WL time. A 12.35 clocking saw her go seventh on the all-time list. It was by no means all her own way, with Sharika Nelvis finishing just behind in 12.54 and British record holder Tiffany Porter third in 12.65.

Allyson Felix ran a world leading time, meet record and equalled Veronica Campbell-Brown’s Diamond League record of 21.98 from five years ago in a dominant performance ahead of Murielle Ahoure in 22.29. Britain’s Bianca Williams finished sixth in a season’s best of 23.05.

There was somewhat of an upset in the women’s 400m. It was Francena McCorory who ran the better-timed race in 50.21 ahead of Sanya Richards-Ross in 50.79.

Elsewhere, the favourite for the men’s 800m Mohammed Aman was completely run out of the race, finishing ninth with the win going to Ayanleh Souleiman. Souleiman’s world leading mark however was not quite enough to take his national record. 

German giant David Storl held off the American trio of Joe Kovacs, Ryan Whiting and Reese Hoffa to take maximum points with a best throw and European leading performance of 21.51.

The women’s 1,500m win went to 18-year-old Dawit Seyaum in a world leading time of 4:00.96.

The women’s high jump didn’t live up to it’s expectations with the potential for a two-metre jump ahead of the event not being delivered. The win went to Lithuania’s Airiné Palsyté with a best jump on the night of 1.94. Isobel Pooley cleared 1.91 with a clean scorecard all the way up to 1.94 and finished third.

It was an extremely close fought race in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase. The win went to Kenya’s Virginia Nyambura in a WL time of nine minutes 21.51 with Ethiopia’s Hiwot Ayalew second in nine minutes 21.54.

The men’s Javelin saw the familiar face of Tero Pitkämäki take the win with fireworks in his final round throw. 88.62 and a world lead was enough to steal the win away from Finnish teammate Antti Ruuskanen.

The men’s pole vault did not feature the indoor world record holder Renaud Lavillenie. Konstantinos Fillipidis was a class above the rest however to take full points in a best height of 5.75.

In the last event of the evening, double World and Olympic champion Mo Farah was beaten by Hagos Gebrhiwet in seven minutes 38.08.

Finally, in the Men’s 400m asian race, it was the talented youngester Abdalleleh Haroun who ran another sub-45 second race in 44.85 at the age of 18.

The next Diamond League is to be held in Shanghai on the 17th May.