STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, June 02 — Just two days after Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up her 400H season with a world leader 52.70, perhaps rival Femke Bol felt some pressure to top that in her opener at the BAUHAUS-galan. If so, she gave no sign of disappointment after producing her fastest season opener ever, 53.07.
Starting in lane 5 between Andrenette Knight (4) and Rushell Clayton (6), Bol got out relatively slow and on the backstretch saw Clayton sprint ahead on her right and Knight make up the stagger on her left. It wasn’t until the final 150 that she demonstrated her strength and reeled in the Jamaicans. Alone by the last hurdle, she finished well ahead of both Clayton (53.78) and Knight (54.62).
Explained Bol, “I executed my stride pattern exactly as planned; there are still some points to improve but that is always the case for a season opener. My first two hurdles can be a bit better, it was a bit slow and the clearing of the hurdles was not that good. But it’s my fastest season opener, so I can’t complain too much.
“I started my season a bit later than usual because I had a busy indoor season followed by the World Relays. I wanted to put in a good training block to be as fresh as possible for the Olympic Games, and given that the Europeans are in between too, this seemed to be the best plan for us. Compared to last season, hurdle 7 is much better now; we have worked a lot on this with technique training and also on the clearance of the hurdles with my weak leg.”
In the shot, the world champions battled, Chase Jackson, the winner of the last two outdoor golds, dispatching World Indoor champion Sarah Mitton. The Canadian held the lead early, but Jackson threw 65-7½ (20.00) in round 2, a mark that held up for a 2cm win over Mitton’s 65-6¾ (19.98).
“If I can get a little bit more energy in my throws, it will be set,” said Jackson, who added, “It’s coming soon so I’m excited.”
A sharp 1500 showed that Laura Muir should be in good shape for the summer. The Scotswoman followed the early pace of 64.16 and 2:07.37, then when the pacer stepped off, she stayed behind Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom. The teenager led at 1200 (3:11.96), then, as the final 200 approached, the pack started to bunch. Muir chose that moment to sprint, and no one else could match her around the turn and onto the straight. She finished in 3:57.99. Kenyan Edina Jebitok stayed closest with a PR 3:58.88. Australian Georgia Griffith finished well in 3:59.17, catching Haylom (3:59.84). American Dani Jones ran a PR 4:00.64 in 5th.
“To be running what I am now and knowing that I have a couple more months of training before the Olympics is very exciting going forward,” said Muir. “I am not doing Rome [Euro Champs] because of the championship format and lots of rounds plus it will be very hot. I want to put everything I have into the Olympics.”
A non-Diamond League 800 race brought together a surprisingly good field. Jemma Reekie dispensed with the rabbit early and passed halfway in 57.53. She held on to win in 1:57.79 ahead of Vivian Chebet’s PR 1:58.64. Finland’s Eveliina Määttänen ran 3rd in a PR 1:59.59.
Shericka Jackson bounced back from her Oslo 5th to run the 200 aggressively and win in 22.69. “Oslo was a blessing for me,” she admitted. “It gave me that realization that I do still want to be winning. Sometimes I struggle a bit mentally and at Oslo I lost a bit of who I am but now I am back and this was important for me.”
Gina Bass took the 100 in a pedestrian 11.15 over Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith (11.16) and Brittany Brown (11.18). And Alexis Holmes won a non-DL 400 in 51.18.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the high jump on a second-attempt clearance at 6-6¾ (2.00). Nicola Olyslagers, the only other woman remaining at that point, missed her three tries and wound up in 4th at 6-4¼ (1.94), behind Germany’s Imke Onnen and Ukraine’s Iryna Gerashchenko at the same height. Mahuchikh made two attempts at 6-8 (2.03) before calling it quits because of hamstring pain.
“This was my first ever competition with my new runup so I tried it but I need more practice and I am sure in Rome it will be better,” she said. “In the first attempt over 2.03, my shoulder was still low above bar but in the second I felt well and I think I can do it.”
Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez came on top of Shanieka Ricketts in an excellent first three rounds of the triple jump. Her 47-2¼ (14.38) in round 1 gave her a 3cm lead, then she jumped 47-9¾ (14.57) in 2. Ricketts responded with her best of the day, 47-3 (14.40). Then in round 3 Pérez reached 48-1¾ (14.67). That tied a knot in the excitement, as no one improved in the final three rounds amid plenty of fouls. American Keturah Orji jumped 45-1½ (13.75) for 6th.
STOCKHOLM WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(-0.8): 1. Gina Bass (Gam) 11.15; 2. Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith (CI) 11.16; 3. Brittany Brown (US) 11.18; 4. Zaynab Dosso (Ita) 11.23.
200(-2.0): 1. Shericka Jackson (Jam) 22.69; 2. Julia Henriksson (Swe) 22.89 PR; 3. Amy Hunt (GB) 22.92; 4. Anavia Battle (US) 22.98;… 7. Jenna Prandini (US) 23.31.
800: 1. Jemma Reekie (GB) 1:57.79 (57.53); 2. Vivian Chebet (Ken) 1:58.64 PR; 3. Eveliina Määttänen (Fin) 1:59.59 PR; 4. Nigist Getachew (Eth) 1:59.77.
1500: 1. Laura Muir (GB) 3:57.99; 2. Edina Jebitok (Ken) 3:58.88 PR; 3. Georgia Griffith (Aus) 3:59.17; 4. Birke Haylom (Eth) 3:59.84 (3:11.96); 5. Dani Jones (US) 4:00.64 PR; 6. Revee Walcott-Nolan (GB) 4:00.77 PR; 7. Linden Hall (Aus) 4:01.01; 8. Cory McGee (US) 4:02.64; 9. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 4:02.98; 10. Sintayehu Vissa (Ita) 4:03.36.
400H: 1. Femke Bol (Neth) 53.07; 2. Rushell Clayton (Jam) 53.78; 3. Andrenette Knight (Jam) 54.62; 4. Janieve Russell (Jam) 54.99; 5. Anna Ryzhykova (Ukr) 55.64; 6. Ayomide Folorunso (Ita) 55.99.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukr) 6-6¾ (2.00) (6-2¾, 6-4¼, 6-5½ [3], 6-6¾ [2], 6-8 [xx]) (1.90, 1.94, 1.97 [3], 2.00 [2], 2.03 [xx]); 2. Imke Onnen (Ger) 6-4¼ (1.94) =PR; 3. Iryna Gerashchenko (Ukr) 6-4¼; 4. Nicola Olyslagers (Aus) 6-4¼; 5. Eleanor Patterson (Aus) 6-2¾ (1.90); 6. Mirela Demireva (Bul) 6-2¾; 7. tie, Lia Apostolovski (Slo) & Maja Nilsson (Swe) 6-1¼ (1.86); 9. Yuliya Levchenko (Ukr) 5-11½ (1.82).
TJ: 1. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 48-1¾ (14.67) (47-2¼, 47-9¾, 48-1¾, f, 46-8¼, 47-1½) (14.38, 14.57, 14.67, f, 14.23, 14.36); 2. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 47-3 (14.40); 3. Thea LaFond (Dom) 46-9½ (14.26); 4. Tuğba Danişmaz (Tur) 45-9¼ (13.95); 5. Maja Åskag (Swe) 45-2½ (13.78); 6. Keturah Orji (US) 45-1½ (13.75.
SP: 1. Chase Jackson (US) 65-7½ (20.00) (61-2¼, 65-7½, 64-1¾, 62-9½, 63-2¾, f) (18.65, 20.00, 19.55, 19.14, 19.27, f); 2. Sarah Mitton (Can) 65-6¾ (19.98) (63-5, 65-6¾, f, 62-½, f, f) (19.33, 19.98, f, 18.91, f, f); 3. Jessica Schilder (Neth) 62-7¼ (19.08); 4. Jiayuan Song (Chn) 61-11 (18.87); 5. Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Jam) 61-7 (18.77); 6. Fanny Roos (Swe) 60-8½ (18.50); 7. Sara Lennman (Swe) 59-11¾ (18.28); 8. Maggie Ewen (US) 59-11¼ (18.27); 9. Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 59-5¾ (18.13).
