DOHA, QATAR, May 13-14 — At a Wanda Diamond League opener in which gusting desert winds interfered enough to force a day’s postponement of the men’s vault, and squeaky-tight finishes were abundant, U.S. stars in the two 200s raced to victory.
In a men’s matchup of the Tokyo gold and bronze half-lap medalists plus Olympic 100 silver man Fred Kerley, Noah Lyles scored his first major win of the year.
As Tokyo winner Andre De Grasse lagged over the first half and could never catch up, world champion Lyles reached halfway neck-and-neck with Kerley a lane to his inside in 10.3, sprinted with powerful form down the straight and without an appreciable lean took his fellow American’s measure 19.72–19.75. The wind gauge showed a just-over-the-allowable 2.1.
In the race for 3rd, De Grasse, to Lyles’s right in lane 7, finished thousandths behind World Indoor 400 champ Jereem Richards as both crossed in 20.15.
“I perform better under pressure,” said Lyles. “The crowd makes me excited. Actually, I feel good and satisfied about my position right now. My plan for the World Championship is to win, to always win.”
Tokyo women’s silver medalist Gabby Thomas — whose 6 outdoor finals already run in the young season included 22.02 and 10.80w outings — triumphed in a pitched homestretch battle with Shericka Jackson.
Jamaican Jackson, the 27-year-old owner of a pair of Olympic bronzes in the 100 and 400, ran Thomas a lane to her inside close through the first half as each split 11.2.
Jackson led for most of the straight before Thomas inched ahead some 30m from the line to score a 21.98 =MR win. Jackson was timed in 22.07 with world champion Dina Asher-Smith 3rd at 22.37.
“I was nervous but I feel great now,” said Harvard alum Thomas of her first DL appearance since Eugene last August. “It is such a great feeling to run here with the crowd. It gives me good energy. It’s beautiful to be here in Doha.”
The winds were such that the men’s PV was postponed and staged indoors the next day. Mondo destroyed the field by being the only one to clear a relatively modest 19-¾ (5.81). He then had the bar bumped all the way up to 19-9 (6.02), which he easily cleared on first try before missing three at 20-1 (6.12) making himself the first above 6m in Doha.
With the vaulters no longer on the field, the men’s javelin was reversed so as to take advantage of strong tailwinds (the women’s TJ had a reading as high as 7.3mps, about 16mph).
Anderson Peters, obviously helped by the stiff breeze, fired his spear out to 305-4 (93.07) to win momentously from Olympic silver medalist Jakub Vadlejch and Tokyo 4th-placer Julian Weber.
The Grenadan’s evening capper in the city where he won the world title in ’19 soared 18-11 (5.76) farther than his 286-5 (87.31) pre-meet PR from the ’19 Pan-Am Games and lifted him to No. 5 on the all-time list.
Peters had PRed and taken the yearly lead on his first throw, a 291-10 (88.96) long bomb. With the best series of his career he led until round 4 when Vadlejch took the lead at 294-10 (89.87), a PR by 6 inches (14cm) for the Czech, who next joined the 90m club with 298-2 (90.88) in round 5.
Peters, however, had answers, first 295-10 (90.19) in that fifth frame to set up tense drama in the final round of 3. Weber, who fouled in frame 5, failed to improve on his last, and then Peters unleashed his biggie, which Vadlejch could not better.
Of his return to the Qatari capital, Mississippi State alum Peters commented on Instagram, “Really good start to the 2022 season. Thank you god.”
In a remarkably quick men’s 400H for the conditions, Rai Benjamin led Alison dos Santos, the man he had outrun for silver in Tokyo, by fractions of a second through the first 8 barriers. Off hurdle 9, however, dos Santos touched down a sliver ahead and then controlled the race to 10 and the run-in.
Besting Benjamin for the first time, the Brazilian reached the finish in a year-leading 47.24 to the American’s 47.49.
Said dos Santos, also a winner at the Drake Relays, “I feel proud. We prepared well and we started the season fast, and I’m always trying to improve and be better.”
In the close outcomes department, Keni Harrison hauled in fast-starting Britany Anderson to win a photofinish in 12.43w (wind 3.8) from Tobi Amusan and Anderson, both 12.44w.
A pair of distance runs saw fierce see-sawing battles over the last lap. The first saw Francine Niyonsaba hold off Faith Kipyegon on her outside shoulder for an 8:37.70–8:38.05 win in the women’s 3000. Burundian Niyonsaba burned through the final 200 in 27.6.
In the men’s steeple Tokyo champ Soufiane El Bakkali got a world-leading win from Lamecha Girma, 8:09.66–8:09.67 also with a close photo read required.
Americans placed 1-2-3 in the women’s shot, almost certainly a DL first. With 64-¼ (19.51), Chase Ealey headed Maggie Ewen (US) 63-4¾ (19.32) and Jessica Ramsey (US) 62-3¾ (18.99).
DOHA DL MEN’S RESULTS
200(2.1): 1. Noah Lyles (US) 19.72w; 2. Fred Kerley (US) 19.75w; 3. Jereem Richards (Tri) 20.15w; 4. Andre De Grasse (Can) 20.15w; 5. Aaron Brown (Can) 20.18w; 6. Jerome Blake (Can) 20.25w; 7. Filippo Tortu (Ita) 20.41w;… dnf—Femi Ogunode (Qat).
800: 1. Noah Kibet (Ken) 1:49.08; 2. Peter Bol (Aus) 1:49.35; 3. Marco Arop (Can) 1:49.51; 4. Daniel Rowden (GB) 1:49.56; 5. Ferguson Rotich (Ken) 1:50.48; 6. Donavan Brazier (US) 1:50.58;… rabbit—Erik Sowinski (US) (54.80).
1500: 1. Abel Kipsang (Ken) 3:35.70; 2. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:36.16; 3. Teddese Lemi (Eth) 3:37.06; 4. Yomif Kejelcha (Eth) 3:37.85; 5. Kamar Etyang (Ken) 3:38.74 (2:54.24); 6. Matthew Ramsden (Aus) 3:38.83; 7. Charles Simotwo (Ken) 3:39.18; 8. Samuel Zeleke (Eth) 3:42.56; 9. Adam Ali Musab (Qat) 3:47.36; 10. Ignacio Fontes (Spa) 3:47.80; 11. Stewart McSweyn (Aus) 3:48.67;… rabbit—Sowinski (54.44, 59.86 [1:54.30]).
St: 1. Soufiane El Bakkali (Mor) 8:09.66 (WL);
2. Lamecha Girma (Eth) 8:09.67; 3. Abraham Kibiwot (Ken) 8:16.40;
4. Hillary Bor (US) 8:17.82 (AL);
5. Leonard Bett (Ken) 8:21.64; 6. Benjamin Kigen (Ken) 8:23.65; 7. Getnet Wale (Eth) 8:26.68; 8. Lawrence Kemboi (Ken) 8:26.70 (5:29.50); 9. Ahmed Abdelwahed (Ita) 8:26.89; 10. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:28.69; 11. Topi Raitanen (Fin) 8:38.75; 12. Yemane Haileselassie (Eri) 8:44.35; 13. Ole Hesselbjerg (Den) 8:46.19;… rabbit—Abderrafia Bouassel (Mor) (2:43.41).
400H: 1. Alison dos Santos (Bra) 47.24 (WL); 2. Rai Benjamin (US) 47.49 (AL);
3. Thomas Barr (Ire) 49.67; 4. Kyron McMaster (BVI) 49.93; 5. Jaheel Hyde (Jam) 50.23; 6. Yasmani Copello (Tur) 50.30; 7. M.P. Jabir (Ind) 50.42.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Sang-hyeok Woo (SK) 7-7¾ (2.33) (out WL);
2. Mutaz Barshim (Qat) 7-6½ (2.30); 3. Django Lovett (Can) 7-5¼ (2.27); 4. Hamish Kerr (NZ) 7-4¼ (2.24); 5. JuVaughn Harrison (US) 7-2½ (2.20); 5. Shelby McEwen (US) 7-2½; 7. Gianmarco Tamberi (Ita) 7-2½;… nh—Brandon Starc (Aus).
PV(5/14, indoors—postponed by high winds): 1. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 19-9 (6.02) (18-4¾, 19-¾, 19-9, 20-1 [xxx]) (5.61, 5.81, 6.02, 6.12 [xxx]);
2. KC Lightfoot (US) 18-8¾ (5.71); 3. Ben Broeders (Bel) 18-8¾; 4. Chris Nilsen (US) 18-8¾; 5. Valentin Lavillenie (Fra) 18-8¾; 6. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 18-4¾ (5.61); 7. Piotr Lisek (Pol) 18-4¾; 8. Emmanouil Karalis (Gre) 17-9 (5.41); 9. tie, Menno Vloon (Neth) & Cole Walsh (US) 17-9.
JT(strong tailwind): 1. Anderson Peters (Grn) 305-4 (93.07) NR (5, x W) (WL) (291-10 PR, 286-5, 290-4, 281-4, 295-10 PR, 305-4 PR) (88.96, 87.30, 88.51, 85.75, 90.19, 93.07);
2. Jakub Vadlejch (CzR) 298-2 (90.88) PR (277-8, f, f, 294-10 PR, 298-2 PR, 280-6) (84.63, f, f, 89.87, 90.88, 85.50); 3. Julian Weber (Ger) 282-5 (86.09); 4. Leandro Ramos (Por) 278-2 (84.78) NR; 5. Andrian Mardare (Mol) 278-1 (84.77); 6. Vítězslav Veselý (CzR) 252-4 (76.92); 7. Thomas Röhler (Ger) 237-10 (72.51); 8. Kim Amb (Swe) 215-7 (65.70).
DOHA WOMEN’S RESULTS
200(1.3): 1. Gabby Thomas (US) 21.98 (AL);
2. Shericka Jackson (Jam) 22.07; 3. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 22.37; 4. Tamara Clark (US) 22.72; 5. Anthonique Strachan (Bah) 22.78; 6. Beth Dobbin (GB) 23.06; 7. Dezerea Bryant (US) 23.12; 8. Shannon Ray (US) 23.15.
400: 1. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 51.20; 2. Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jam) 51.69; 3. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bah) 51.84; 4. Sada Williams (Bar) 52.09; 5. Candice McLeod (Jam) 52.37; 6. Natalia Kaczmarek (Pol) 52.54; 7. Kendall Ellis (US) 52.58; 8. Lynna Irby (US) 52.86.
3000: 1. Francine Niyonsaba (Bur) 8:37.70 (out WL) (2:56.21, 5:53.32);
2. Faith Kipyegon (Ken) 8:38.05; 3. Jessica Hull (Aus) 8:40.97; 4. Yasemin Can (Tur) 8:41.38; 5. Girmawit Gebrzihair (Eth) 8:41.88 PR; 6. Edinah Jebitok (Ken) 8:42.34; 7. Fantaye Belayneh (Eth) 8:43.82; 8. Fantu Worku (Eth) 8:44.10; 9. Mekides Abebe (Eth) 8:45.38; 10. Melknat Wedu (Eth) 8:45.76 PR; 11. Nadia Battocletti (Ita) 8:50.66 PR; 12. Beatrice Chepkoech (Ken) 8:50.74; 13. Winnie Nanyondo (Uga) 8:52.30 PR.
100H(3.8): 1. Keni Harrison (US) 12.43w; 2. tie, Tobi Amusan (Ngr) & Britany Anderson (Jam) 12.44w; 4. Devynne Charlton (Bah) 12.61w; 5. Cyréna Samba-Mayela (Fra) 12.72w; 6. Gabbi Cunningham (US) 12.75w; 7. Payton Chadwick (US) 12.86w; 8. Megan Tapper (Jam) 12.92w.
Field Events
TJ: 1. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 48-7½w (14.82); 2. Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk (Ukr) 48-4w (14.73); 3. Thea Lafond (Dom) 47-5¼w (14.46); 4. Ana Lucia Jose Tima (DR) 47-4½w (14.44); 5. Neja Filipič (Slo) 47-4¼w (14.43); 6. Patrícia Mamona (Por) 47-3w (14.40); 7. Kim Williams (Jam) 46-10¼w (14.28).
SP: 1. Chase Ealey (US) 64-¼ (19.51) (out AL) (61-9¾, 62-6½, 64-¼, 62-3, 62-6¾, 62-8) (18.84, 19.06, 19.51, 18.97, 19.07, 19.10);
2. Maggie Ewen (US) 63-4¾ (19.32); 3. Jessica Ramsey (US) 62-3¾ (18.99); 4. Fanny Roos (Swe) 61-10¼ (18.85); 5. Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Jam) 61-5 (18.72); 6. Raven Saunders (US) 61-4¾ (18.71); 7. Sara Gambetta (Ger) 60-4½ (18.40); 8. Jessica Schilder (Neth) 59-11¾ (18.28).
