XIAMEN, CHINA, April 20 — The women’s 1500, which could have been mistaken for the Ethiopian Championships, was brisk from the start, with rabbits setting a quick tempo at 400 (60.76) and 800 (2:02.01). Gudaf Tsegay took over by 900m, with only her countrywoman Birke Haylom, the ’22 World U20 gold medalist, keeping her company. Tsegay, world champion last year in the 10,000, passed 1200 in 3:04.82 and continued to build a lead from there. She came home in 3:50.30 to jump to No. 3 on the all-time list. Haylom (3:53.22) moved to No. 5, and seven Ethiopians broke 4:00.
“That was a big surprise for me in my first outdoor race of the season,” said Tsegay, the 5000’s World Record holder, who admitted that “my mentality has now changed” with regards to approaching Faith Kipyegon’s 3:49.11 WR from last year. And she remains unsure which events she might run in Paris: “Maybe three [events], maybe two.”
Valarie Allman reasserted herself at the top of the women’s discus pecking order, taking down Yaimé Pérez a week after the Cuban moved into the event’s all-time top 10 in Oklahoma. The ’21 Olympic champ took the lead in the fourth round at 228-9 (69.73), then improved slightly in the next frame to reach 229-0 (69.80), the No. 9 U.S. performance all-time (she now claims the entire top 10).
“It was so interesting to feel such nerves at the start of the competition,” said Allman, who fouled her first attempt and sat 3rd after the first three rounds. “This crowd, this stadium, it took me a minute to connect with my body.”
Pérez opened with 225-10 (68.83), which held up for her best mark of the day, but well off the 239-9 (73.09) she uncorked in Oklahoma last weekend. “To see a distance that hasn’t been touched in 35 years is incredible,” Allman noted. “But for me and my personality, that’s what I need. I want someone that’s gonna push me and set the bar.”
Lagi Tausaga, the surprise world champ in Budapest, had only one fair throw, at 198-10 (60.61) and finished 10th.
Coming off a stellar winter season that included a world indoor title and World Records in the 60H, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas looked to continue that momentum over the 100-meter distance. After a quick start she held the lead all the way to the final barrier, but Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico closed well to grab the win, 12.45–12.49.
Steeplechase WR holder Beatrice Chepkoech, coming off a World Indoor bronze medal in the 3000 in March, returned to her specialty and ran a solo 8:55.40, the No. 10 performance all-time. She won by 10 seconds over fellow Kenyan Faith Cherotich (9:05.49), with world champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda 3rd in 9:12.99.
In the closing stages of the women’s 200 it appeared that Anavia Battle in lane 3 was pulling away from fellow American Sha’Carri Richardson in lane 5 for the win. But 19-year-old Torrie Lewis — who defended her Australian title a week earlier — came on like an avalanche on the far outside in lane 9 to steal the win in 22.96 (into a -0.4 wind). Richardson (22.99) took 2nd, while American Tamara Clark (23.01) edged the fading Battle (23.02) for 3rd.
Olympic gold medalist Lijiao Gong of China won the women’s shot with a second-round throw of 64-8½ (19.72), just ahead of New Zealand’s Maddie Wesche, who set a PR of 64-5 (19.63), and reigning world champ Chase Jackson of the U.S., 3rd in 64-4½ (19.62).
XIAMEN DL WOMEN’S RESULTS
200(-0.4): 1. Torrie Lewis (Aus) 22.96; 2. Sha’Carri Richardson (US) 22.99; 3. Tamara Clark (US) 23.01; 4. Anavia Battle (US) 23.02; 5. TeeTee Terry (US) 23.25; 6. Mujinga Kambundji (Swi) 23.39; 7. Jessica-Bianca Wessolly (Ger) 23.65; 8. Caisja Chandler (US) 23.72; 9. Anthonique Strachan (Bah) 24.21.
400: 1. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 50.08; 2. Natalia Kaczmarek (Pol) 50.29; 3. Britton Wilson (US) 51.26; 4. Sada Williams (Bar) 51.97; 5. Ellie Beer (Aus) 52.36; 6. Kaylin Whitney (US) 52.47; 7. Aliyah Abrams (Guy) 52.69; 8. Evelyn Aguilar (Col) 52.97.
1500: 1. Gudaf Tsegay (Eth) 3:50.30 PR (WL) (3, 3 W) (3:04.82);
2. Birke Haylom (Eth) 3:53.22 PR (6, x W); (1, 1 WJ—slower than WA-recognized) (old T&FN-recognized WJR 3:54.93 Haylom ’23);
3. Worknesh Mesele (Eth) 3:57.61; 4. Diribe Welteji (Eth) 3:57.62; 5. Freweyni Hailu (Eth) 3:58.18; 6. Georgia Griffith (Aus) 3:59.04 PR; 7. Habitam Alemu (Eth) 3:59.06 PR; 8. Saron Berhe (Eth) 3:59.21 PR; 9. Sarah Billings (Aus) 3:59.59 PR; 10. Linden Hall (Aus) 4:00.71; 11. Addy Wiley (US) 4:03.45; 12. Axumawit Embaye (Eth) 4:04.94; 13. Winnie Nanyondo (Uga) 4:06.09;… rabbits—Aneta Lemiesz (Pol) (60.76), Nigist Getachew (Eth) (2:02.01).
St: 1. Beatrice Chepkoech (Ken) 8:55.40 (WL) (x, 10 W) (2:52.37, 5:53.40);
2. Faith Cherotich (Ken) 9:05.49; 3. Peruth Chemutai (Uga) 9:12.99; 4. Jackline Chepkoech (Ken) 9:19.64; 5. Lomi Muleta (Eth) 9:21.76; 6. Frehiwot Gesese (Eth) 9:25.53 PR; 7. Olivia Gürth (Ger) 9:29.78; 8. Regan Yee (Can) 9:31.47; 9. Cara Feain-Ryan (Aus) 9:32.08; 10. Aude Clavier (Fra) 9:32.75 PR; 11. Madie Boreman (US) 9:34.79.
100H(-0.2): 1. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PR) 12.45; 2. Devynne Charlton (Bah) 12.49; 3. Cyrena Samba-Mayela (Fra) 12.55 NR; 4. Danielle Williams (Jam) 12.56; 5. Tobi Amusan (Ngr) 12.58; 6. Masai Russell (US) 12.67; 7. Ditaji Kambundji (Swi) 12.70; 8. Megan Tapper (Jam) 12.88; 9. Alaysha Johnson (US) 13.01.
Field Events
SP: 1. Lijiao Gong (Chn) 64-8½ (19.72) (63-1½, 64-8½, 63-¾, 63-¼, 63-3½, 64-4) (19.24, 19.72, 19.22, 19.21, 19.29, 19.61); 2. Maddie Wesche (NZ) 64-5 (19.63) PR (63-11½, 63-9½, 60-3, 64-2¼, f, 64-5) (19.49, 19.44, 18.36, 19.56, f, 19.63); 3. Chase Jackson (US) 64-4½ (19.62) (f, 64-4½, 61-5½, 64-¼, 64-3, f) (f, 19.62, 18.73, 19.51, 19.58, f);
4. Sarah Mitton (Can) 63-6 (19.35); 5. Yemisi Ogunleye (Ger) 63-1½ (19.24); 6. Jiayuan Song (Chn) 62-7¾ (19.09); 7. Maggie Ewen (US) 61-11 (18.87); 8. Danniel Thomas-Dodd (Jam) 61-6¾ (18.76); 9. Jessica Schilder (Neth) 61-¼ (18.60); 10. Adelaide Aquilla (US) 57-9¾ (17.62).
DT: 1. Valarie Allman (US) 229-0 (69.80) (x, 9 A) (f, 212-3, 215-9, 228-9, 229-0, 217-10) (f, 64.70, 65.76, 69.73, 69.80, 66.40);
2. Yaimé Pérez (Cub) 225-10 (68.83) (225-10, 217-0, 218-2, 211-6, f, 213-8) (68.83, 66.14, 66.51, 64.46, f, 65.14); 3. Bin Feng (Chn) 220-0 (67.07);
4. Sandra Elkasević (née Perković) (Cro) 215-3 (65.60); 5. Kristin Pudenz (Ger) 212-0 (64.63); 6. Shanice Craft (Ger) 208-5 (63.52); 7. Liliana Cá (Por) 207-7 (63.27); 8. Claudine Vita (Ger) 205-10 (62.74); 9. Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 204-6 (62.33); 10. Lagi Tausaga (US) 198-10 (60.61).
Non-DL JT: 1. Qianqian Dai (Chn) 200-11 (61.25); 2. Līna Mūze-Sirmā (Lat) 193-3 (58.91); 3. Flor Dennis Ruiz (Col) 191-11 (58.50); 4. Qiaohui Gai (Chn) 190-3 (57.99); 5. Huihui Lu (Chn) 189-5 (57.74); 6. Kathryn Mitchell (Aus) 182-3 (55.57); 7. Tori Peeters (NZ) 181-1 (55.20).