STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, June 7—Racing the Diamond League circuit is a different process than racing in a major championship with rounds. Surely one can’t expect the 17-year-old high school junior who found good fortune at last summer’s national championships to jump into the DL circuit and find instant success.
Yet again, Cooper Lutkenhaus defied the cynics, displaying masterful racing savvy in Stockholm’s Stadion. The 17-year started out mid-pack in a loaded field, then as he approached the bell he started working to reach the spot behind Marco Arop, who ran with the pacesetter. Arop passed 400 in 50.4, with Lutkenhaus two places back (50.9) and moving. The pair pulled away from the field on the backstretch as the rabbit dropped. On the final curve, no one else could find the horsepower to challenge. Lutkenhaus swung wide and bore down off the turn, gradually passing Arop; the Canadian, who won World Champs gold in ’23, had no response.
The rookie grabbed the DL win in his first try at 1:42.70, with Arop at 1:43.11. Algeria’s Slimane Moula placed 3rd in 1:43.41. Bryce Hoppel ran 8th in 1:44.66.
“It was my first 800m race of the season so to come away with the victory with athletes like that in the race, I am really happy,” said Lutkenhaus. “The race went exactly to plan, I put myself in a good position with 200m to go having slowly moved up in the field. I focused on myself throughout the race and didn’t worry too much about anyone else. Time-wise I am pleased but mostly I just wanted the win today.”
The meet’s final event was a solid 1500 featuring a bang-up field and Yared Nuguse looking for his second-straight DL win. Rabbit Ben Claridge took the pack past markers of 55.06 and 1:51.87, holding on till 1000 before leaving the front to Aussie teen Cameron Myers, the world leader. Myers, with Nuguse following closely, hit 1200 in 2:47.96, with Timothy Cheruiyot in tow and Hobbs Kessler, in his outdoor 1500/mile opener, struggling to hang on.
In the final 100, Nuguse showed his sprint was better than a teenager’s, outlasting the Aussie for a 3:30.11–3:30.32 win. Cheruiyot got 3rd (3:30.67) and Vincent Ciattei (3:31.63) and Narve Gilje Nordås (3:31.74) both edged past Kessler’s 3:31.76.
Said Nuguse, “I wanted to run fast but the wind unfortunately was too bad on the back straight. I waited and bided my time and trusted I had another gear in the final meters.”
It was hard to tell who was more stunned by Kurtis Marschall’s pole vault win, the Swedish crowd or their hero, Mondo Duplantis. At 19-¼ (5.80), five cleared, including American Zach Bradford. The next height killed a lot of plans, as Mondo passed 19-4¼ (5.90) and everyone else flamed out with the exception of Marschall, who snaked over on this third try.
The bar went to 19-8¼ (6.00) where Marschall passed and Mondo had two shocking misses before passing. At 19-10¼ (6.05) Mondo missed to seal the order — his first loss since July ’23 — and the Australian gave two half-hearted efforts before settling for the win.
“I did not mean to spoil the show but I am so delighted with the win,’ said Marshall. “I really thought [my first DL win] would never come with Mondo here.”
Duplantis explained, “I felt a bit unfocused today, and I really did not want to lose here in front of my family and fans. I have not lost in, what, 3 years? But hats off to Kurtis today who beat me fair and square and I have no excuses.”
Much happier news for local fans came in the discus, where veteran Daniel Ståhl, in his thirteenth appearance in this meet, hit 228-4 (69.60) on his only fair throw, the farthest he has ever thrown in the stadium and not far from the meet record. That would be enough to hold off Australian Matt Denny, who threw 226-5 (69.02) and Slovenia’s Kristjan Čeh at 222-0 (67.67).
It was Ståhl’s first DL win at what he calls the “best arena in the world” since his 3-straight in ’19–21. “I will work on my technique; I got five crosses [fouls] today and that’s not good enough, really.”
After a false start delayed matters, Kenny Bednarek caught a fine start and romped to the win in 19.87, falling a tenth short of tying the meet record that Michael Johnson set 30 years ago. Courtney Lindsey stayed closest before being caught by South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile, who clocked 20.10 to Lindsey’s 20.24. “Overall a good day at the office but plenty more to do” said Bednarek.
In the 400, both Zakithi Nene of South Africa and Jacory Patterson got out fast, effectively leaving the field behind. On the final stretch, however, the South African stayed smooth while Patterson tied up. Nene won in 44.48 (“It’s crazy to have won my first Diamond League”) to Patterson’s 44.69. Jereem Richards edged Khaleb McRae for the third spot, 44.87-44.94.
It was a standard work day for Soufiane El Bakkali. The Moroccan was unpressed in his 8:10.40 steeple victory over Kenyans Edmund Serem (8:12.27), Abraham Kibiwott (8:12.75) and world champ Geordie Beamish (8:13.11). American Matthew Wilkinson placed 8th in 8:14.27.
Alison dos Santos, working on running the first part of his race faster, did just that. However it didn’t give him the expected margin. On the final homestraight he had a challenge from his countryman, Matheus Lima. He surged away before the line to win in 47.11. Lima impressed, cutting his best from 48.08 to 47.37.
STOCKHOLM DL MEN’S RESULTS
Non-DL 100(0.5): 1. Jeremiah Azu (GB) 10.07; 2. Taymir Burnet (Neth) 10.09 =PR.
200(1.0): 1. Kenny Bednarek (US) 19.87; 2. Sinesipho Dambile (SA) 20.10; 3. Courtney Lindsey (US) 20.24; 4. Reynier Mena (Cub) 20.53; 5. Mthi Mthimkulu (SA) 20.78.
400: 1. Zakithi Nene (SA) 44.48; 2. Jacory Patterson (US) 44.69; 3. Jereem Richards (Tri) 44.87; 4. Khaleb McRae (US) 44.94; 5. Charlie Dobson (GB) 45.15.
800: 1. Cooper Lutkenhaus (US) 1:42.70 (WL, AL) (x, 7 WJ; x, 2 AJ);
2. Marco Arop (Can) 1:43.11; 3. Slimane Moula (Alg) 1:43.41; 4. Ben Pattison (GB) 1:43.70; 5. Peter Bol (Aus) 1:43.70; 6. Gabriel Tual (Fra) 1:43.72; 7. Jake Wightman (GB) 1:44.39; 8. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:44.66;… rabbit—Patryk Sieradzki (Pol) (49.99).
1500: 1. Yared Nuguse (US) 3:30.11 (13.69, 27.74, 41.82, 55.84); 2. Cam Myers (Aus) 3:30.32 (2:47.96); 3. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:30.67; 4. Vincent Ciattei (US) 3:31.63; 5. Narve Gilje Nordås (Nor) 3:31.74; 6. Hobbs Kessler (US) 3:31.76; 7. Ruben Verheyden (Bel) 3:32.91; 8. Robert Farken (Ger) 3:32.99;… rabbit—Ben Claridge (GB) (56.81, 55.06 [1:51.87]).
St: 1. Soufiane El Bakkali (Mor) 8:10.40; 2. Edmund Serem (Ken) 8:12.27; 3. Abraham Kibiwott (Ken) 8:12.75; 4. Salaheddine Ben Yazide (Mor) 8:13.02; 5. Geordie Beamish (NZ) 8:13.11; 6. Simon Koech (Ken) 8:13.40; 7. Karl Bebendorf (Ger) 8:14.13; 8. Matthew Wilkinson (US) 8:14.27.
400H: 1. Alison dos Santos (Bra) 47.11; 2. Matheus Lima (Bra) 47.37; 3. Emil Nana Kwame Agyekum (Ger) 47.72; 4. Kemorena Tisang (Bot) 48.43; 5. Bassem Hemeida (Qat) 48.52; 6. Oskar Edlund (Swe) 48.81.
Field Events
PV: 1. Kurtis Marschall (Aus) 19-4¼ (5.90) (17-8½, 18-4½, 18-8¼ [2], 19-¼, 19-4¼ [3], 19-10¼ [xxp]) (5.40, 5.60, 5.70 [2], 5.80, 5.90 [3], 6.05 [xxp]);
2. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 19-¼ (5.80) (first DL loss since Monaco ’23, breaks 20-DL win streak) (18-4½ [2], 19-¼, 19-8¼ [xx], 19-10¼ [x]) (5.60 [2], 5.80, 6.00 [xx], 6.05 [x]);
3. Baptiste Thiery (Fra) 19-¼; 4. Menno Vloon (Neth) 19-¼ (5.80); 5. Zach Bradford (US) 19-¼; 6. tie, Sondre Guttormsen (Nor) & Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 18-8¼ (5.70); 8. tie, Sam Kendricks (US) & Thibaut Collet (Fra) 18-4½ (5.60).
DT: 1. Daniel Ståhl (Swe) 228-4 (69.60) (f, 228-4, f, f, f, f) (f, 69.60, f, f, f, f); 2. Matt Denny (Aus) 226-5 (69.02) (f, 226-5, 218-1, 212-11, 223-5, f) (f, 69.02, 66.49, 64.90, 68.10, f); 3. Kristjan Čeh (Slo) 222-0 (67.67); 4. Rojé Stona (Jam) 217-11 (66.42); 5. Sam Mattis (US) 216-7 (66.03); 6. Henrik Janssen (Ger) 215-0 (65.53); 7. Alex Rose (Sam) 212-8 (64.82); 8. Lawrence Okoye (GB) 210-0 (64.02).
