Gateshead DL — Inclement Weather Rules The Day

Weather matters, exhibit 1: in this photo, Kenny Bednarek is running the year’s fastest 200, a 19.65w (+4.0) in the heat and humidity of Florida; in cold and wet Gateshead (-3.0) he won at 20.33. (KEVIN MORRIS)

GATESHEAD, ENGLAND, May 23 — Driving rain. Blustery headwinds. Temperatures topping out at 50° (11 C). The first stop on this year’s Diamond League circuit got a proper dose of nasty English weather that rendered the times, well, distinctly mortal. The quality of the matchups, though, made the sopping wet competition significant.

One of the brightest spots came from Kenny Bednarek in the 200. On a day when so many others struggled in the downpour, the 22-year-old American didn’t hesitate to go hard, running the turn fastest, even with puddles on the track. He came to the straight with a marginal lead but it was his acceleration into the teeth of a 3.0 wind that impressed most. His 20.33 gave him more than 3m on Canadians Aaron Brown (20.79) and Andre De Grasse (20.85).

“I felt very good despite the terrible conditions,” he said. “My coach told me to work on my technique and that’s what I did so I am really pleased. I would have liked to run faster but with the rain and a head wind and it was cold so you can only go so far.”

Premeet chatter centered on the women’s 100, with yearly world leader Sha’Carri Richardson tweeting big (“My granny told me to kick ass so nobody is safe!!!!!”) and reigning world 200 champ Dina Asher-Smith saying, “If you come to a Diamond League… you have to come ready.”

Nigerian Blessing Okagbare got the best start, but faded as two pulled ahead of the mix, Asher-Smith and Richardson. The Briton built a 0.09 margin on the American by the time they hit the finish, the 3.1 headwind holding their times to 11.35 and 11.44, with Marie-Josée Ta Lou at 11.48 and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 4th at 11.51.

Said the winner, “Conditions were far from ideal but the most important thing is to come away with a good result and a win.”

Richardson shrugged about her first century loss in 2 years: “I know what I need to go back and work on.”

In the 400, Kendall Ellis used her strength to survive the swirling wind and eke out a 51.86–51.96 win over Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson. “It was so tough,” she said. “I had to tell myself to put my head down and fight through it.”

American Hillary Bor won the steeple in 8:30.20, topping Kenya’s Leonard Bett (8:31.52) by a margin nearly identical to their 9-10 finish in the Doha Worlds. Said the winner, “I felt the race was slow but my legs were fresh so I wanted to give it a go.”

The 5000 saw the emergence of a new name, Mohamed Katir, a 23-year-old Moroccan-turned-Spaniard with a PR of just 13:50.19 coming in. He gave Kenyans Nicholas Kimeli and Michael Kibet more than they could handle, moving into the lead with 400 left. Nothing about his surge looked decisive until the final turn, when he finally gapped Kibet. He took that momentum to the line in 13:08.52, with Kimeli crossing in 13:10.11.

The field events weren’t spared the rain. Did it affect the vault? Consider Mondo Duplantis holding an umbrella over friendly rival Sam Kendricks at the head of the runway as he prepared for what would be his winning jump. The American took the win off that 18-10 (5.74). Duplantis made only 18-2½ (5.55) but went down swinging with a final attempt at 19-¼ (5.80).

Kendricks took upbeat to a new level, quipping, “That was the most fun I’ve had all year! You had people, you had rainy conditions and we all had a good old rousing time out there.”

Some of the field eventers had challenges bigger than the weather. Maggie Ewen threw to 2nd in the shot with her wet circle 60-10 (18.54)—and ended up 3rd in the results (losing points and a chunk of prize money) because she fouled in the round 4 showdown with the other top throwers. For Rankings purposes, T&FN doesn’t recognize the DL’s unique last-round protocol.

For the athletes, it was a meet to be survived. Jakob Ingebrigtsen did so admirably, holding off Olli Hoare’s charge on the final stretch of the 1500 to win in 3:36.27 to the Australian’s 3:36.58. “This is the daily weather in Norway, so I’m used to this,” said the winner.


GATESHEAD DL MEN’S RESULTS

(cold & wet)

200(-3.0): 1. Kenny Bednarek (US) 20.33; 2. Aaron Brown (Can) 20.79; 3. André De Grasse (Can) 20.85; 4. Vernon Norwood (US) 20.95; 5. Emmanuel Matadi (Lbr) 21.13; 6. Adam Gemili (GB) 21.18; 7. Julian Forte (Jam) 21.47.

1500: 1. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 3:36.27 (2:54.63); 2. Ollie Hoare (Aus) 3:36.58; 3. Stewart McSweyn (Aus) 3:37.32; 4. Ignacio Fontes (Spa) 3:37.97; 5. Matthew Ramsden (Aus) 3:37.98; 6. Archie Davis (GB) 3:41.66; 7. George Mills (GB) 3:42.70; 8. Adam Ali Musab (Qat) 3:43.80; 9. Ryan Gregson (Aus) 3:45.36; 10. Thomas Keen (GB) 3:45.97; 11. Andreas Lindgreen (Den) 3:51.46; 12. Brimin Kiprotich (Ken) 3:52.63;… rabbit—Erik Sowinski (US) (56.37, 58.14 [1:54.51]).

St: 1. Hillary Bor (US) 8:30.20; 2. Leonard Bett (Ken) 8:31.52; 3. Djilali Bedrani (Fra) 8:32.04; 4. Mark Pearce (GB) 8:32.65 PR; 5. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:33.00; 6. Ole Hesselbjerg (Den) 8:34.70; 7. Abraham Kibiwot (Ken) 8:35.14; 8. Phil Norman (GB) 8:35.31; 9. Topi Raitanen (Fin) 8:35.82; 10. James Nipperess (Aus) 8:36.83 (5:47.25);… rabbit—Ben Buckingham (Aus) 2:55.60.

5000: 1. Mohamed Katir (Spa) 13:08.52 PR; 2. Nicholas Kimeli (Ken) 13:10.11 (5:16.65, 7:57.83, 10:37.57); 3. Michael Kibet (Ken) 13:20.52; 4. Morgan McDonald (Aus) 13:22.78; 5. Jonas Raess (Swi) 13:22.92; 6. Andrew Butchart (GB) 13:23.73; 7. Jacob Krop (Ken) 13:24.64; 8. Jimmy Gressier (Fra) 13:25.36; 9. Robin Hendrix (Bel) 13:25.68; 10. Henrik Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 13:27.07; 11. Mike Foppen (Neth) 13:27.33; 12. Seán Tobin (Ire) 13:33.93 PR; 13. Jack Rowe (GB) 13:35.77 PR; 14. Jake Smith (GB) 13:38.01 PR;… rabbit—Adam Clarke (GB) (2:38.23).

Field Events

PV: 1. Sam Kendricks (US) 18-10 (5.74) (17-4½, 18-2½, 18-10 [2], 19-¼ [xxp]) (5.30, 5.55, 5.74 [2], 5.80 [xxp]); 2. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 18-2½ (5.55) (17-4½, 18-2½, 18-10 [xxp], 19-¼ [x]) (5.30, 5.55, 5.74 [xxp], 5.80 [x]); 3. Harry Coppell (GB) 17-10½ (5.45); 4. Cole Walsh (US) 17-4½ (5.30); 5. Ben Broeders (Bel) 17-4½;… nh—Valentin Lavillenie (Fra).

LJ: 1. Filippo Randazzo (Ita) 26-7¼w (8.11) (26-2¾/7.99); 2. Eusebio Cáceres (Spa) 26-4½ (8.04); 3. Tajay Gayle (Jam) 26-3 (8.00); 4. Radek Juška (CzR) 26-¼w (7.93) (25-8¼/7.83); 5. Thobias Montler (Swe) 25-9¼w (7.85) (25-6¼/7.78); 6. Kristian Pulli (Fin) 25-9¼w (7.85); 7. Reynold Banigo (GB) 25-4 (7.72); 8. Henry Frayne (Aus) 25-3¼w (7.70).

JT: 1. Marcin Krukowski (Pol) 271-0 (82.61) (f, 254-6, 270-7, 271-0, f, 266-4) (f, 77.57, 82.49, 82.61, f, 81.18); 2. Keshorn Walcott (Tri) 255-2 (77.78); 3. Kim Amb (Swe) 252-6 (76.96); 4. Anderson Peters (Grn) 248-2 (75.65); 5. Gatis Čakšs (Lat) 246-1 (75.01); 6. Norbert Rivasz-Tóth (Hun) 240-2 (73.20).

GATESHEAD DL WOMEN’S RESULTS

100(-3.1): 1. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 11.35; 2. Sha’Carri Richardson (US) 11.44; 3. Marie-Josée Ta Lou (CI) 11.48; 4. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jam) 11.51; 5. Blessing Okagbare (Ngr) 11.57; 6. Javianne Oliver (US) 11.58; 7. Natasha Morrison (Jam) 11.77; 8. Ajla Del Ponte (Swi) 11.81.

400: 1. Kendall Ellis (US) 51.86; 2. Stephenie Ann McPherson (Jam) 51.96; 3. Lieke Klaver (Neth) 52.03; 4. Kaylin Whitney (US) 52.84; 5. Hannah Williams (GB) 53.35; 6. Shericka Jackson (Jam) 53.40; 7. Lisanne De Witte (Neth) 53.42; 8. Laviai Nielsen (GB) 53.96.

1500: 1. Laura Muir (GB) 4:03.73 (3:16.88); 2. Rababe Arafi (Mor) 4:07.73; 3. Katie Snowden (GB) 4:08.92; 4. Sarah Healy (Ire) 4:09.92; 5. Gaia Sabbatini (Ita) 4:10.21; 6. Eilish McColgan (GB) 4:10.48; 7. Winnie Nanyondo (Uga) 4:10.50; 8. Adelle Tracey (GB) 4:10.93; 9. Marta Pérez (Spa) 4:11.51; 10. Elise Vanderelst (Bel) 4:14.03; 11. Esther Guerrero (Spa) 4:14.55; 12. Axumawit Embaye (Eth) 4:15.23;… rabbit—Erin Wallace (GB) (65.41, 64.39 [2:09.80]).

100H(-3.9): 1. Cindy Sember (GB) 13.28; 2. Luca Kozák (Hun) 13.37; 3. Luminosa Bogliolo (Ita) 13.45; 4. Tiffany Porter (GB) 13.50; 5. Megan Tapper (Jam) 13.53; 6. Zoë Sedney (Neth) 13.57; 7. Pedrya Seymour (Bah) 13.57; 8. Laura Valette (Fra) 13.59.

400H: 1. Sara Slott Petersen (Den) 56.32; 2. Jessica Turner (GB) 56.56; 3. Janieve Russell (Jam) 57.16; 4. Emma Zapletalová (Svk) 57.60; 5. Hayley Mclean (GB) 58.02; 6. Nessa Cooper Millet (Ire) 59.00; 7. Nicole Kendall (GB) 59.34.

Field Events

HJ: 1. Kamila Lićwinko (Pol) 6-3¼ (1.91); 2. Emily Borthwick (GB) 6-3¼ PR; 3. Morgan Lake (GB) 6-2 (1.88); 4. Mariya Lasitskene (Rus) 6-2 (1.88); 5. Alessia Trost (Ita) 6-2; 6. tie, Nikki Manson (GB) & Levern Spencer (StL) 6-½ (1.84); 8. Ana Šimić (Cro) 6-½; 9. Yuliya Levchenko (Ukr) 6-½.

TJ: 1. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 47-3 (14.40) (45-7w, 46-10w, 47-3, 45-8w, p, 46-10¾w) (13.89w, 14.27w, 14.40, 13.92w, p, 14.29w); 2. Patrícia Mamona (Por) 47-1¾w (14.37) (44-8¼/13.62); 3. Naomi Ogbeta (GB) 46-10¾w (14.29) (44-4¾/13.53); 4. Kim Williams (Jam) 46-5¼ (14.15); 5. Keturah Orji (US) 45-9¾w (13.96) (45-1¾/13.76); 6. Paraskevi Papachristou (Gre) 44-8¼ (13.62); 7. Dovilė Kilty (Lit) 42-6¼w (12.96).

SP: 1. Auriol Dongmo (Por) 62-7¼ (19.08); 2. Maggie Ewen (US) 60-10 (18.54); 3. Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Jam) 60-6¾ (18.46) (official results reverse 2 and 3 because of DL’s last-round protocol); 4. Sophie McKinna (GB) 60-3 (18.36); 5. Fanny Roos (Swe) 60-1¾ (18.33); 6. Chase Ealey (US) 59-5½ (18.12); 7. Amelia Strickler (GB) 58-8¾ (17.90) PR; 8. Christina Schwanitz (Ger) 58-7¼ (17.86).

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