FONTVIEILLE, MONACO, July 10 — Sure, she’s won Olympic gold, but now Nina Kennedy is the best she’s ever been. To fend off American Amanda Moll in Monaco’s Stade Louis II she cleared 15-9¾ (4.82), then passed up to 16-2¾ (4.95) when Moll exhausted her attempts at 15-11¾ (4.87).
She only needed one go to break her Australian record and move to =5 in world history. Afterwards, she added three attempts at 16-4¾ (5.00).
Kennedy explained that the travel to both Eugene and Monaco would be “too hectic,” so she decided to “put all my eggs in this basket.”
She added, “I genuinely believe that I can jump 5m and I know if everything aligns I can do it. I have still a lot of competitions for the rest of the season. It’s my goal, it’s my team’s goal. Project 5 Meters is here.”
Marileidy Paulino started off the 400 in last, but over the final 200 she tore through the field to catch Aaliyah Butler in the final strides, setting a meet record 48.67. Butler clocked a PR 48.84 and is now the No. 4 American ever.
“I think I’m in really good shape,” understated the undefeated Paulino.
Butler, whose old PR of 49.09 came a year ago on this track, said, “I knew who I was running against and she runs constantly in 48 so I told myself to stay close and stay in contact with her.”
Arguably, the best performance of the night came in the 3000. Faith Kipyegon came hoping to show that her loss in Eugene was but a blip in her season. Organizers set up the pacing with World Record aspirations. But Kipyegon fell behind early and instead it was World Cross winner Agnes Ngetich following rabbit Jessica Hull when no one else could.
At 1600, Ngetich clocked 4:19.2 behind Hull and then took over, moving past 2000 in 5:24.08, a time that is No. 4 in history. She already led by 80m and kept grinding out fast laps. By the end, she was thrashed, but she still managed a 66.1 final lap to clock 8:08.95 and move to No. 2 all-time behind Faith Kipyegon’s Kenyan record 8:07.04 (T&FN discounts Wang Junxia’s 8:06.11 WR from ’93).
Ethiopia’s Aleshign Baweke took 2nd in 8:23.81, ahead of Senayet Getachew (8:24.02) and Kipyegon (8:24.21).
It was the first track race of the year for Ngetich, who admitted, “Coming here, I did not have any plan… I was coming here just to test if I have the speed on the track.”
Masai Russell continued her undefeated season in the hurdles, this time clicking off a sharp 12.20 performance into a small headwind, topping Alaysha Johnson’s 12.38.
“It felt good and smooth,” said Russell. “Honestly, at this point, I do not think there is a place for me to improve on. It is really just perfecting the whole sculpture. Just to put it all together. Just doing the same thing I have been doing. I have been putting some really, really good races, some really good times together. And when you do the same thing a lot of times, that is when the bigger performances come. So I know there is something big coming.”
Going into the final round, Senegal’s Saly Sarr held the triple jump lead with her round 4 leap of 48-8¾ (14.85). Leyanis Pérez, who had fouled every jump since her opening 48-6¾ (14.80), bounded to a PR 49-5 (15.06) on her final try to snatch the win.
Forced to respond, Sarr outdid herself, reaching a PR 49-2¼ (14.99). World leader Thea LaFond took 3rd with her 48-6¼ (14.79).
“I am very surprised. I was not expecting it,” admitted Pérez of joining the 15-meter club.
The javelin featured yet another win by Chinese teen Ziyi Yan. The 18-year-old took the lead in round 2 and then gave the meet record a scare with her final throw of 225-6 (68.75), more than enough to top Adriana Vilagoš’ 207-3 (63.18). “On the last attempt, I finally had a good feeling,” she said.
As if the evening needed any exclamatory punctuation, Julien Alfred supplied the closing fireworks in the 200. Racing against undefeated Gabby Thomas and undefeated Adaejah Hodge, the St. Lucien blistered the start and came on to the straight with a small lead. Then she went into overdrive as Thomas shifted gears and Hodge worked hard to hold form. Neither could match Alfred’s shear power as she pulled away to a convincing victory in 21.51, a national record and world leader that is behind only Florence Griffith Joyner and Shericka Jackson on the all-time list.
Hodge held on for a 21.76, and Thomas hit 21.84 ahead of Kayla White’s 22.04.
Said Alfred, “I was first, that’s all that matters. I have been preparing for this for such a long time, to finally see it pay off, I am just happy. I didn’t realize how fast it was till I crossed the line. I looked at the clock and saw my time and that’s why I was screaming like at the Olympics.
“I have been looking forward to this for such a long time. I am just so happy to see that time. There are no limits right now.”
MONACO DL WOMEN’S RESULTS
200(0.9): 1. Julien Alfred (StL) 21.51 NR (WL) (3, 5 W);
2. Adaejah Hodge (BVI) 21.76;
3. Gabby Thomas (US) 21.84 (AL);
4. Kayla White (US) 22.04; 5. Cambrea Sturgis (US) 22.40; 6. Anavia Battle (US) 22.42.
400: 1. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 48.67;
2. Aaliyah Butler (US) 48.84 PR (AL) (4, 8 A);
3. Lurdes Gloria Manuel (CzR) 49.44; 4. Nickisha Pryce (Jam) 49.56; 5. Lieke Klaver (Neth) 49.58 =PR; 6. Roxana Gómez (Cub) 50.37; 7. Bassant Hemida (Egy) 50.56; 8. Jasmine Jones (US) 51.09 PR.
3000: 1. Agnes Ngetich (Ken) 8:08.95 PR (WL) (2, 2 W) (64.9, 65.0 [2:09.9], 64.4 [3:14.3], 64.9 [4:19.2], 64.9 [5:24.08 /4, 4 W/], 65.3 [6:29.4], 66.7 [7:36.1], 32.8) (2:42.1, 2:42.0 [5:24.1], 2:44.8) (16.1, 32.8, 66.1);
2. Aleshign Baweke (Eth) 8:23.81 PR; 3. Senayet Getachew (Eth) 8:24.02 PR; 4. Faith Kipyegon (Ken) 8:24.21; 5. Freweyni Hailu (Eth) 8:25.77; 6. Aynadis Mebratu (Eth) 8:27.15 PR; 7. Mizan Alem (Eth) 8:27.99 PR;… rabbit—Jessica Hull (Aus) (2:41.85).
100H(-0.4): 1. Masai Russell (US) 12.20 (x, =6 W; x, =5 A);
2. Alaysha Johnson (US) 12.38; 3. Nadine Visser (Neth) 12.49; 4. Pia Skrzyszowska (Pol) 12.54; 5. Rayniah Jones (US) 12.54; 6. Demisha Roswell (Jam) 12.56; 7. Sacha Alessandrini (Fra) 12.78; 8. Aaliyah McCormick (US) 13.13.
Field Events
PV: 1. Nina Kennedy (Aus) 16-2¾ (4.95) NR (WL) (=5, x W) (highest jump in the world since ’21) (14-10, 15-1¾, 15-5¾, 15-9¾, 15-11¾ [x], 16-2¾, 16-4¾ [xxx]) (4.52, 4.62, 4.72, 4.82, 4.87 [x], 4.95, 5.00 [xxx]);
2. Amanda Moll (US) 15-5¾ (4.72); 3. tie, Emily Grove (US) & Angelica Moser (Swi) 15-1¾ (4.62); 5. tie, Tina Šutej (Slo) & Katie Moon (US) 15-1¾; 7. Hana Moll (US) 14-10 (4.52).
TJ: 1. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 49-5 (15.06) PR (48-6¾, f, f, f, f, 49-5) (14.80, f, f, f, f, 15.06); 2. Saly Sarr (Sen) 49-2¼ (14.99) PR; 3. Thea LaFond (Dom) 48-6¼ (14.79); 4. Davisleidis L. Velazco (Cub) 48-1¼ (14.66); 5. Liadagmis Povea (Cub) 47-4¼ (14.43); 6. Dariya Derkach (Ita) 47-¼ (14.33).
JT: 1. Ziyi Yan (Chn) 225-6 (68.75) (x, 2 WJ) (f, 211-11 [x, 7 WJ], f, 198-11, 211-3, 225-6) (f, 64.60, f, 60.65, 64.38, 68.75);
2. Adriana Vilagoš (Ser) 207-3 (63.18) (207-3, 191-3, f, 199-5, 200-8, 195-3) (63.18, 58.31, f, 60.79, 61.17, 59.53); 3. Elína Tzénggo (Gre) 190-11 (58.20); 4. Anete Sietiņa (Lat) 189-2 (57.67); 5. Mackenzie Little (Aus) 189-0 (57.62).
