ZAGREB, CROATIA, June 24–26 — It took clearing her mind, zeroing in on her focus and letting the rest take care of itself. Then Thea LaFond was able to unleash the best triple jump of her life.
The Paris Olympic champion was in 3rd going into the fifth round at the Hanžeković Memorial CT stop in Zagreb, with a best of 47-9¾ (14.57), trailing Tokyo world champ Leyanis Pérez and Dariya Derkach.
“I was really coming into this meet trying to project off that board and get a good hop, I was missing that most of the season,” she recounted later.
“My coach/husband was telling me to focus on that take off and being patient of that hop… it wasn’t until that last jump I told myself to forget everything else and just make sure that the body feels good and launch off that board.”
With great power, she exploded off the board and carried all the momentum into the last two phases. She didn’t celebrate as she exited the pit, but sat nervously nearby, waiting to hear if it was as great as she hoped.
It was. The 32-year-old Dominican had smashed her Paris PR and become the tenth woman to surpass 50-feet. The 50-½ (15.25) makes her =No. 9 all time, with the world’s best jump in 4 years and, the longest by anyone not named Yulimar Rojas since ’14.
“It was probably one of the easiest jumps of my life,” she said in wonder. “15-meters-25, even saying it sounds insane!” While LaFond has always represented Dominica, she grew up in the U.S. and had outstanding prep and collegiate careers at John F. Kennedy HS (Silver Spring, Maryland) and Maryland. But it wasn’t until ’21 that she surpassed 14.50 and started contending for global medals.
LaFond’s TJ was far from the only strong event in the 76th edition of this meet. Both short hurdles were outstanding, with Jamal Britt continuing his prolific ’26 (19 hurdle finals and counting) by clipping his 2-week old PR by 0.01 at 12.98 (1.2) and topping the PRs of Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya (13.00) and Cuba’s Kendry Menéndez (13.02), with ’25 world champ Cordell Tinch in 4th (13.17).
“I am happy with it even though I am not feeling at 100%,” Britt said. “I was still able to go out there and run fast and come out with a PB. The 27-year-old Iowa alum added that as he has been working with newfound speed, part of his success has been ability to shrug off crashes, as he had at Doha and Rome. “I am just trying to dial in on my technique and make sure I can maintain that speed on the hurdles.”
Alaysha Johnson notched her best mark of the year in the 100H at 12.43, barely fending off another PR by Rayniah Jones, also 12.43, as she went under 12.5 for the second time in a week. Alia Armstrong (12.51) gave the U.S. a 1-2-3 finish ahead of 3-time World Indoor champ Devynne Charlton (12.62).
While Johnson has been in the elite inner circle of American hurdlers, the 24-year-old Jones is quickly moving toward that sub-12:40 territory where medal contenders dwell. After running 12.59 for 3rd in the ’24 NCAA, Jones clocked just 12.81 last year. But ’26 has been rife with breakthroughs.
“I didn’t feel that I was filled with the confidence to go out there and improve. I was very complacent where I was,” she said. “This year I realized that the ceiling is so high, that there is no limit… I don’t know how much more is in store but I am super excited.”
Meanwhile, the men’s throws were exemplary. Jamaican Rajindra Campbell had thrown a national record here 2 years ago, and then he nicked that to win the Xiamen DL in May. Friday, he watched Leonardo Fabbri throw over 22m twice, then in the fifth round exploded himself for another NR of 73-7½ (22.44).
“This is my best series ever,” said the Paris bronze medalist, “so I was happy to chase after Fabbri threw the 22m. This competition is the best, it removed the limitation out of my mind and I just kept throwing… and then the National Record came.”
Another who was thrilled with his throw — not a breakthrough as much as a late career return-to-form — was Paweł Fajdek. The 5-time World Champ, just turned 37, was in the midst of a modest series until the fifth round, where he launched a mighty 268-8 (81.89), his longest since completing his title run 4 years ago in Eugene.
“It was my second competition this season, and I’m really happy with the result,” he said. “I had a lot of troubles in the past; now I forget about everything and focus on preparing for the European Championships in Birmingham.”
A trio of 30-something sprint veterans had a day, too. Elaine Thompson-Herah (10.94) and Shaunae Miller-Uibo (22.19) swept the women’s dashes and Andre De Grasse (19.95) went under 20 again, even into an 0.3 wind. That trio has a dozen Olympic and World golds and nearly 30 medals between them.
At the other end of the spectrum, new pro Nathan Green continued to show his ability for well-timed winning kicks in crowded fields, taking the 1500 in a near-PR 3:32.46.
ZAGREB CT MEN’S RESULTS
200(-0.3): 1. Andre De Grasse (Can) 19.95; 2. Yassine Hssine (Mor) 20.00 NR; 3. Udodi Onwuzurike (Ngr) 20.18.
800: 1. Jordan Terrasse (Fra) 1:44.77; 2. Tshepiso Masalela (Bot) 1:44.99; 3. Marino Bloudek (Cro) 1:45.00; 4. Bartosz Kitliński (Pol) 1:45.02; 5. Filip Ostrowski (Pol) 1:45.04; 6. Abdellatif El Guesse (Mor) 1:45.05.
1500: 1. Nathan Green (US) 3:32.46; 2. Romain Mornet (Fra) 3:32.53; 3. Muhdin Worku (Eth) 3:32.71 PR; 4. Pietro Arese (Ita) 3:32.76; 5. Sam Prakel (US) 3:32.90;… 9. Sam Gilman (US) 3:33.69 PR;…13. Joe Waskom (US) 3:34.28.
110H(1.2): 1. Jamal Britt (US) 12.98 PR; 2. Shunsuke Izumiya (Jpn) 13.00 PR; 3. Kendry Menéndez (Cub) 13.02 PR; 4. Cordell Tinch (US) 13.17; 5. Enzo Diessl (Aut) 13.26.
Field Events
LJ: 1. Anvar Anvarov (Uzb) 27-2½ (8.29) NR; 2. Luka Bošković (Ser) 27-0 (8.23) PR; 3. Tajay Gayle (Jam) 26-10 (8.18); 4. Jarrion Lawson (US) 26-8½ (8.14).
SP(6/25): 1. Rajindra Campbell (Jam) 73-7½ (22.44) NR (71-2½, 72-1½, 72-¼, 72-6¼, 73-7½, 67-10¼) (21.70, 21.98, 21.95, 22.10, 22.44, 20.68); 2. Leonardo Fabbri (Ita) 72-10½ (22.21); 3. Tom Walsh (NZ) 70-3½ (21.42); 4. Roger Steen (US) 70-3½ (21.42); 5. Uziel Muñoz (Mex) 69-4 (21.13)).
DT: 1. Kristjan Čeh (Slo) 230-8 (70.32); 2. Lawrence Okoye (GB) 223-11 (68.24); 3. Ruben Rolvink (Neth) 217-9 (66.39); 4. Shaquille Emanuelson (Neth) 216-6 (65.99).
HT: 1. Paweł Fajdek (Pol) 268-8 (81.89); 2. Mykhaylo Kokhan (Ukr) 267-1 (81.42); 3. Yann Chaussinand (Fra) 265-6 (80.92); 4. Bence Halász (Hun) 264-9 (80.71).
ZAGREB WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(0.9): 1. Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jam) 10.91; 2. Brianna Lyston (Jam) 10.94; 3. Ewa Swoboda (Pol) 10.98; 4. Zoe Hobbs (NZ) 11.02.
200(0.2): 1. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bah) 22.19; 2. Thelma Davies (Lbr) 22.76; 3. Jael Bestue (Spa) 22.80.
400: 1. Stacey-Ann Williams (Jam) 49.48 PR; 2. Yemi Mary John (GB) 50.33; 3. Bassant Hemida (Egy) 50.77.
800: I–1. Vivian Chebet 1:59.26. II–1. Phoebe Gill (GB) 1:59.18; 2. Isabelle Boffey (GB) 1:59.70; 3. Nina Vuković (Cro) 2:00.06 PR.
3000: 1. Nigist Molla (Eth) 8:44.75 PR; 2. Mastewal Muhabaw (Eth) 8:45.02 PR; 3. Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Ger) 8:45.34 PR.
100H(-0.2): 1. Alaysha Johnson (US) 12.43; 2. Rayniah Jones (US) 12.43 PR; 3. Alia Armstrong (US) 12.51; 4. Devynne Charlton (Bah) 12.62.
400H: 1. Rushell Clayton (Jam) 53.54; 2. Paulien Couckuyt (Bel) 54.32 PR; 3. Fatoumata Diallo (Por) 54.55; 4. Shamier Little (US) 55.44; 5. Emma Zapletalová (Svk) 55.82.
Field Events
HJ(6/24): 1. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukr) 6-5½ (1.97); 2. tie, Eleanor Patterson (Aus) & Angelina Topić (Ser) 6-4¾ (1.95).
TJ: 1. Thea LaFond (Dom) 50-½ (15.25) NR (WL) (=9, x W) (47-6½, f, f, 47-9¾, 50-½, p) (14.49, f, f, 14.57, 15.25, p);
2. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 48-5¼ (14.76); 3. Dariya Derkach (Ita) 47-7¼ (14.51).
JT: 1. Leonie Hügli (Swi) 200-7 (61.14); 2. Madison Wiltrout (US) 197-5 (60.17); 3. Adriana Vilagoš (Ser) 197-0 (60.04); 4. Sara Kolak (Cro) 196-3 (59.82).
