DOHA, QATAR, June 19 — Defying steamy conditions at the Mazzraty Doha stop on the Diamond League circuit where the thermometer topped 100 (38C) for the day, Emma Zapletalová continued her undefeated DL campaign in the 400H. This time she improved her own Slovakian Record and world leader with a strong 52.30 that moved her to No. 6 all-time. She easily vanquished Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton (53.05).
“I’m really happy with my brand new personal best, also national record, and also I’m satisfied with the plan [my coach and I] set before the race,” said Zapletalová. “I did it as we planned. And yeah, it’s my fourth win in the Diamond League in a row. So, always when I’m going to start, I focus on myself and doing my best. I always know that it’s not easy to win the race because there are other very good racers.
“So it’s always focus on my job, and when I do this very well, then it could be a very nice result.”
Impressive also was the burner flat-400 turned by Marileidy Paulino in the final women’s event of the meet. “I wanted to open with 48 seconds and I succeeded,” declared Paulino, who demolished Alison Felix’s meet record by 0.92 with a 48.91 clocking.
The Olympic champion from the Dominican Republic, after opening her 1-lap season with a 49.89 win in Moscow, came here looking for something much faster. With all the confidence of a movie heroine, she ran roughshod over the field and closed with a 10-meter win over Poland’s Natalia Bukowiecka (50.10).
“I am working hard on the weak points and I think that today I have proved that I am working on it. I love to compete.” She also revealed that she, indeed, is the subject of an inspirational movie about her life. “The actress who’s playing me is also an athlete who happens to be training with me.”
American Addy Wiley grabbed her first DL win with a 1:57.98–1:58.08 decision over Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma. That she won at all proved amazing to anyone who watched the final stretch. A horde of competitors seemed ready to swallow the 22-year-old leader. Yet incredibly she kept finding new reserves and surging ahead.
“I ran too hard and I knew I had put my all out there, no matter what the outcome was, but I kind of just asked myself, ‘How bad do you want this, do you want today to be the day or do you want to get 2nd-place again?’”
Sinesipho Dambile put together an impressive 200, his 19.74 with a 1.8 wind bettering his PR of 19.77 that he had set at altitude. That got him to the line ahead of the 19.88 for Auburn alum Makanakaishe Charamba, with Alexander Ogando 3rd in 19.96.
“It is the best season of my life at the moment,” he said. “I am still building, I am still gonna get better.”
In a year of blazing hurdle races, the men’s 110s stood out for being decidedly not so. For Cordell Tinch, in fact, it seemed a case of slow and steady wins the race. Well behind after the start, he watched as Jamal Britt led through 8 hurdles. But Britt was off just enough to be hitting barriers, and he nailed the eighth hard enough to send his form into recovery mode.
Tinch powered his way to the front and was able to claim his first major win of the year in 13.23. Spain’s Asier Martínez took 2nd in 13.27 as Britt finished last in 13.85. “Just getting that first one really does matter,” said Tinch, who says the rough start to his season is a tradeoff with what he hopes will be a fast end.
Oregon alum Kemba Nelson showed the best form she has in the last 4 years, riding a 2.5 breeze to a 10.88w in the 100. “Shocked, I mean, I have not run this fast since 2022, I have been trying, I have been through some hardships, I have been through so much.”
Ethiopians dominated the women’s distances, with Medina Eisa surviving a last-lap pileup to take the 5000 in 14:53.91 as her countrywomen took the first 5 places. In the 1500, Birke Haylom was the only one to follow the pacer through 800 in 2:05.47. She faded near the end but had enough cushion for the win in 3:59.89.
The best competition on the field came in the triple jump, where Jamaican Jordan Scott opened with a PR and world leader of 58-½ (17.69). Portugal’s Pedro Pichardo came back in round two with a better jump of 58-1¼ (17.71). In round 3, Scott again jumped 58-½. Yasser Triki got into the act with an Algerian Record 57-11¾ (17.67). The adrenaline ran out for the leaders — Pichardo fell more than 2m short in his final three attempts — though Triki nailed a good 57-11 (17.65) on his final try.
“A bit of heat,” said Pichardo, “but the competition happened to be good.”
The women’s triple also delivered for the fans. On her second attempt, Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez bounded out to 49-1½w (14.97) with a 2.5 wind. On her third attempt, she came up with a legal outdoor world leader of 48-11¾ (14.93). That didn’t dissuade her teammate, Davisleidis Velazco, who in round 4 hit a world leader 49-1½ — which kept her in 2nd. On the next jump Velazco joined the 15-meter club with a 49-7¾ (15.13).
“I am super happy with this,” said Velazco. “It is a mark I expected, but not so soon in the season.”
Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage only had one throw good enough to win the javelin, but that’s all it takes. The former cricket player from Sri Lanka lobbed the spear out to 290-11 (88.68) on his fourth attempt, passing Anderson Peters’ leader of 283-5 (86.38).
Curtis Thompson threw his U.S. leader of 282-1 (85.99) on his opening throw, and that kept him ahead of returning Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra at 281-1 (85.69).
Manolo Karalís dominated the vaulters, even though on paper he only won on misses, sharing the best of 19-5 (5.92) with Chris Nilsen and Sondre Guttormsen. More telling was his first failed attempt at 19-9 (6.02), which he cleared by a massive margin, only to knock the bar off with an errant elbow. “I was not as smooth as I wanted,” he admitted.
Italy’s Matteo Sioli took the high jump with a 7-6 (2.29) over local favorite Mutaz Essa Barshim, who topped only 7-5¼ (2.27).
The meet closed with yet another steeple win from Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali. This time after he made his break, he had some trouble shaking Ethiopian Samuel Firewu. He fought for and finally got some breathing room after the last water jump, taking the 8:09.28–8:10.44 win.
“It very hot, it is not like racing in Europe,” said the 4-time global champion. “The date of the meeting has to be changed.”
DOHA DL MEN’S RESULTS
200(1.8): 1. Sinesipho Dambile (SA) 19.74 PR; 2. Makanakaishe Charamba (Zim) 19.88 =PR; 3. Alexander Ogando (DR) 19.96; 4. Prince Phaezel Selepe (Bot) 20.01 PR; 5. Reynier Mena (Cub) 20.04; 6. Kyree King (US) 20.38.
St: 1. Soufiane El Bakkali (Mor) 8:09.28; 2. Samuel Firewu (Eth) 8:10.44; 3. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:13.35; 4. Abraham Kibiwott (Ken) 8:15.49 (5:28.26); 5. Abraham Sime (Eth) 8:16.90; 6. Niklas Buchholz (Ger) 8:18.40.
110H(1.4): 1. Cordell Tinch (US) 13.23; 2. Asier Martínez (Spa) 13.27; 3. Thomas Wilkes (Fra) 13.28 PR; 4. Enrique Llopis (Spa) 13.31; 5. Kendry Menéndez (Cub) 13.41; 6. Romain Lecoeur (Fra) 13.46; 7. Just Kwaou-Mathey (Fra) 13.57; 8. Jamal Britt (US) 13.85.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Matteo Sioli (Ita) 7-6 (2.29); 2. Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qat) 7-5¼ (2.27); 3. Oleh Doroshchuk (Ukr) 7-4¼ (2.24); 4. Raymond Richards (Jam) 7-2½ (2.20); 5. Tyus Wilson (US) 7-2½; 6. Erik Portillo (Mex) 7-2½; 7. Jan Štefela (CzR) 7-2½.
PV: 1. Manolo Karalís (Gre) 19-5 (5.92); 2. Chris Nilsen (US) 19-5; 3. Sondre Guttormsen (Nor) 19-5 (5.92) PR; 4. Sam Kendricks (US) 19-1 (5.82); 5. KC Lightfoot (US) 19-1; 6. Abdesalam Seifeldin Heneida (Qat) 18-9¼ (5.72).
TJ: 1. Pedro Pichardo (Por) 58-1¼ (17.71) (WL) (57-1, 58-1¼, 57-7½, 51-4¼, p, 47-5) (17.40, 17.71, 17.56, 15.65, p, 14.45);
2. Jordan Scott (Jam) 58-½ (17.69) PR; 3. Yasser Triki (Alg) 57-11¾ (17.67) NR; 4. Andrea Dallavalle (Ita) 56-4¾ (17.19); 5. Almir dos Santos (Bra) 55-9¾ (17.01).
JT: 1. Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SrL) 290-11 (88.68) (271-1, 277-8, 264-2, 290-11, 277-1, 266-10) (82.62, 84.63, 80.53, 88.68, 84.47, 81.35); 2. Anderson Peters (Grn) 283-5 (86.38); 3. Curtis Thompson (US) 282-1 (85.99) (AL); 4. Neeraj Chopra (Ind) 281-1 (85.69); 5. Artur Felfner (Ukr) 274-4 (83.62); 6. Julius Yego (Ken) 269-9 (82.22); 7. Keshorn Walcott (Tri) 267-3 (81.47).
DOHA WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(2.5): 1. Kemba Nelson (Jam) 10.88w; 2. Zaynab Dosso (Ita) 11.01w; 3. Patrizia van der Weken (Lux) 11.05w; 4. Jael Bestue (Spa) 11.07w; 5. Anavia Battle (US) 11.13w.
400: 1. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 48.91; 2. Natalia Bukowiecka (Pol) 50.10; 3. Roxana Gómez (Cub) 50.23; 4. Bassant Hemida (Egy) 50.50; 5. Martina Weil (Chl) 51.05; 6. Paris Peoples (US) 51.27.
800: 1. Addy Wiley (US) 1:57.98; 2. Tsige Duguma (Eth) 1:58.08; 3. Halimah Nakaayi (Uga) 1:58.41; 4. Prudence Sekgodiso (SA) 1:58.61; 5. Oratile Nowe (Bot) 1:58.66; 6. Nigist Getachew (Eth) 1:59.12; 7. Renelle Lamote (Fra) 1:59.21; 8. Shafiqua Maloney (VIN) 1:59.48;… rabbit—Lisanne de Witte (Neth) (56.56).
1500: 1. Birke Haylom (Eth) 3:59.89 (3:10.98); 2. Saron Berhe (Eth) 4:02.61; 3. Haregeweyn Kalayu (Eth) 4:03.56; 4. Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Ger) 4:04.28 PR; 5. Agueda Marques (Spa) 4:04.61; 6. Gaia Sabbatini (Ita) 4:06.24.
5000: 1. Medina Eisa (Eth) 14:53.91; 2. Likina Amebaw (Eth) 14:54.37; 3. Marta Alemayo (Eth) 14:55.65; 4. Mihret Bernesh (Eth) 14:55.85 PR; 5. Hawi Abera (Eth) 14:58.43; 6. Nelvin Jepkemboi (Ken) 14:59.68.
400H: 1. Emma Zapletalová (Svk) 52.30 NR (WL) (6, x W);
2. Rushell Clayton (Jam) 53.05; 3. Kemi Adekoya (Bhr) 53.67; 4. Gianna Woodruff (Pan) 53.88; 5. Amalie Hammild Iuel (Nor) 54.09; 6. Ashley Miller (Zim) 54.33.
Field Event
TJ: 1. Davisleidis L. Velazco (Cub) 49-7¾ (15.13) PR (WL) (17, x W) (48-2½, f, f, 49-1½, 49-7¾, f) (14.69, f, f, 14.97, 15.13, f);
2. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 49-1½w (14.97); 3. Saly Sarr (Sen) 48-9 (14.86) PR; 4. Liadagmis Povea (Cub) 47-10 (14.58); 5. Thea LaFond (Dom) 47-7¾ (14.52); 6. Ilionis Guillaume (Fra) 45-10¾ (13.99); 7. Elena Andreea Taloș (Rom) 45-10¾.
