11 world leads in Doha’s flag-waving opener – Samsung Diamond League

Doha, Qatar – The opening Samsung Diamond League meeting of the season here in Doha prompted 11* athletes to achieve world-leading performances, with Allyson Felix moving closer to her own personal set of double figures as she recorded the ninth win of her career at this meeting.

A hot but blustery night ended with two crowd-pleasing performances. First, Ethiopia’s Yenew Alamirew burst dramatically past Kenya’s former World champion Eliud Kipchoge just 200 metres from the end of the 3000m race, winning in a world-leading, meeting record of 7:27.26 which sent his compatriots into a flag-waving frenzy at their gathering point on the bottom bend of the Qatar Sports Club stadium.

Hometown hero impresses

A few minutes later 19-year-old home high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim provoked sustained applause from home supporters as he cleared first 2.29m and then 2.31m with his third and final attempts, thus equalling the national record he had set in winning last year’s World junior title.

But Barshim had to settle for third place in the end as Kyriakos Ioannou of Cyprus, in his first competition in 11 months, rose to one more challenge to pass the leader on countback, Jesse Williams of the United States, by clearing 2.33m, only for Williams to respond immediately by matching his effort to regain first place. Three unsuccessful efforts from Ioannou later, Williams’ win was confirmed.

Dix dominates half-lap

There had been a rumble of home excitement earlier in the evening as Qatari runner Femi Ogunode set a national record in the 200m as he chased home the favourite, Walter Dix.

The American produced a world-leading time of 20.06 which also equalled the meeting record.

But the man in the home colours reached the line in 20.36, finishing well clear of the third-placed Jaysuma Ndure of Norway, who clocked 20.55.

Ndure’s fellow countryman Andreas Thorkildsen, the World and two-time Olympic champion, suffered a rare defeat in the Javelin as his best effort of 83.63m was only sufficient to place him fifth on a night when victory went to his young rival from the Czech Republic, Petr Frydrych.

The man who is coached by the triple Olympic champion Jan Zelezny won with a second round effort of 85.32m, with Robert Oosthuizen of South Africa taking second place with a season’s best of 84.38m in his final effort.

Finland’s former World champion, Tero Pitkamaki, was third with 83.91m.

Right to the line for Felix

Felix’s ninth Doha win came in the 400m, where she recorded a world-leading time of 50.33 to hold off the strong challenge of Amantle Montsho of Botswana, who recorded 50.41.

Despite the status of her time, the American triple World champion was not overly excited. “It is a decent time, nothing special,” she said. “It is a very long season so I just want to take things slowly.”

Felix now moves on to the World Challenge meeting in Daegu, and plans to run the 200m/400m double at Rome’s Samsung Diamond League meeting on 26 May.

Tamgho in command

Teddy Tamgho had hoped for further great things in Doha, where he set the first of his World indoor Triple Jump records at last year’s World Indoor Championships, recording 17.90m to take his first global title.

The 21-year-old Frenchman could not reach such heights – or rather, lengths – on the night, but he still produced a world-leading distance of 17.49m which was also a meeting record.

A further effort of 17.44m showed that the European indoor champion is in consistent form. The highly experienced Leevan Sands of the Bahamas took second place in 17.09m, with Cuba’s Alexis Copello third, recording 17.05m.

“Things went well,” said the winner. “I expected a bit more, but with training load in the last week I could not aim for 17.90. People recognised me and they encouraged me.”

But it was a relatively disappointing night for Tamgho’s French teammate, the European indoor and outdoor Pole Vault champion Renaud Lavillenie, who was below his best in recording 5.50m to take fourth place.

Victory went to Malte Mohr of Germany in a world-leading 5.81m, 11cm more than the second-placed Maksym Mazuryk of Ukraine could manage.

Wells’ momentum continues

Just as Lolo Jones had kind of predicted, her fellow American Kellie Wells profited from the background of an unbeaten indoor season over the hurdles, coming through with a late surge to take the opening Samsung Diamond League 100m Hurdles event in 12.58, a world-leading time which equalled her personal best.

 

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