Zürich Diamond League Women’s Reports

ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND, August 29—Half of 2019’s women’s Diamond League winners were chosen at the Weltklasse meet. Prize money was given to places 1–8: $50,000 (plus the Diamond Trophy), $20,000, $10,000, $5000, $4000, $3000, $2000. How each event played out:

200: Miller-Uibo Awesome In The Stretch

European champion Dina Asher-Smith got out fastest, storming the turn to emerge on the straight with a meter’s lead over World No. 1 Shaunae Miller-Uibo. The Bahamian owned the straight, however, as she unleashed her long stride and gobbling up the lead and then some, crossing the line 2m clear in a year-leading 21.74, making her =No. 11 in history. Asher-Smith (22.08) had an even bigger margin on Jamaica’s Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson (22.44). “It’s a good track for me,” understated Miller-Uibo, who used the race as her tuneup for the World Champs 400.

400: Naser Shakes Off The Rust

Salwa Eid Naser, silver medalist at the last Worlds, was the only finalist who had broken 50 this season. Running her first 400 in 7+ weeks, she took a strong lead immediately, hitting halfway in 23.9 and running unchallenged to a 50.24. American Shakima Wimbley closed well from lane 3 to take 2nd in 51.21. Said the victor, noting her heavy training load, “The race was very hard for me. I’m just amazed and feeling good.”

1500: Sifan Runs Away From Dibaba

Chanelle Price was charged with rabbiting a serious 62, 2:05 clip. She ran the plan, leading Genzebe Dibaba right on target through 700, when she dropped. Dibaba, rather than holding the pace, however, started to slow. She passed the 800 in 2:07.79 and the deceleration became overwhelmingly obvious when the pack bunched up like a compressed accordion and Sifan Hassan had to stick out her arms to keep from smashing into other runners. Still, no one passed the Ethiopian, who dawdled until 1100m before taking off again. On the backstretch yearly list leader Hassan finally started sprinting and flew past Dibaba, carrying her energetic gallop to the line in 3:57.08 on a 57.71 final circuit. Germany’s Konstanze Klosterhalfen passed the Ethiopian with 100 left to take 2nd in 3:59.02, ahead of Gabriela Debues-Stafford’s Canadian Record 3:59.59. Dibaba limped to the finish in 4:00.86 in 4th. Jenny Simpson, in good position with 400 left, lacked the necessary sprint and faded to 8th in 4:03.50. Hassan and Klosterhalfen, who train together in Oregon, hugged joyously after the finish to celebrate their second 1-2 on the DL circuit this season.

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Steeple: Chepkoech Hangs On

Beatrice Chepkoech had only to defeat her impatience. The 28-year-old Kenyan followed the rabbit at World Record pace for the first 700 before getting antsy and passing her 200m prematurely. She led through the kilo in a blazing 2:51.89. Emma Coburn, hoping to finally break 9:00, ran aggressively, and was 2nd there (2:54.2), but that would prove to be too much for the American. Up front, Chepkoech continued to extend her lead as Coburn slipped back and spent most of the race battling with Hyvin Kiyeng and Norah Jeruto. Kiyeng, the ’15 World Champ, finished so well that she noticeably ate into Chepkoech’s lead. However, even with the fast start, Chepkoech couldn’t break 9:00 herself. Her final two kilos were 3:05.7 and 3:04.1. Kiyeng ran 9:03.83 in 2nd, ahead of Jeruto (9:05.15) and Daisy Jepkemei (9:06.66). Gesa Krause caught Coburn on the run-in and broke the German Record with her 9:07.51 as Coburn took 6th in 9:10.01. Said Chepkoech, “Today was not about time, it was about winning. We are still aiming for the World Championships.” Coburn tweeted, “Ouchie. I ran hard, 2:53 first 1K trying to follow the pacer and leader, and paid for it the last lap. I now know what my limit is. I’m healthy, fit, and ready for Worlds. Learning and growing from every race experience.”

400H: McLaughlin Wins A Summit Conference

The crowd was electrified at the prospect of seeing a monumental rematch between WR holder Dalilah Muhammad and young rival Sydney McLaughlin. All the Americans lined up in adjacent lanes, with Shamier Little in 2, McLaughlin in 3, Muhammad in 4 and Ashley Spencer in 5. At the crack of the gun, Muhammad charged, coming off the first turn with a notable lead. However, she seemed to back off on the straight, allowing McLaughlin to take the lead entering the final turn. The two ran closely, with Little and Switzerland’s Léa Sprunger also running the curve well. At hurdle 8, it appeared that McLaughlin stepped down quickly and in control while Muhammad floated without momentum. The race was over, McLaughlin charging home in her second-fastest time ever, 52.85, with Little grabbing 2nd in 53.86 ahead of a struggling Muhammad (54.13). McLaughlin seemed stunned to have won, saying “I am absolutely shocked and amazed. This was a strong race, but it was not my cleanest one.”

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Triple Jump: Ricketts Shocks Rojas

Conspicuous in her absence was defending champ Caterine Ibargüen, winner of 5 of the last 6 trophies, felled by plantar fasciitis. In her stead, Yulimar Rojas figured to have a clear path to the top, but somebody forgot to tell Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica, a San Diego State alum having the season of her life. The 3-time NCAA champion, 27, took the lead at 48-3¼ (14.72) in the third round and that stood up through rounds 4 and 5 and most of 6. Rojas, however, as the penultimate jumper finally solved her approach problems and retook the lead at 48-4½ (14.74). The last jump belonged to Ricketts, who exhorted the crowd to support her, sped down the runway in her black knee socks and sailed out to a PR 48-11¾ (14.93) to take the win. Said the happy winner, “Before the last jump I knew that I had a chance and I needed to take that chance. This is my first Diamond League win, and with a PB. I am sooo happy. I do not yet know what I will do with the money.”

Shot: Big World Leader For Gong

Chase Ealey made a great run at yearly leader Lijiao Gong and through the first 3 rounds it looked as if the American might pull it off. In the second round she added a centimeter to her PR, reaching 64-6¾ (19.68) to solidify her hold on No. 6 on the all-time U.S. list. But the Chinese star bounced back in a big way in round 4 (65-3½/19.90) before closing things out with a year-leading 66-7¾ (20.31). The reigning world champ, Gong is pointing towards another gold, saying, “I have a special plan for this season since Doha is so late in the year. I’m just following this plan.”

Javelin: According To Form

To divine the spear’s result one needed only look at the yearly list coming in, where the top 3 were Huihui Lu, Kelsey Barber & Nikola Ogrodníková. And that’s just how they ended up. Lu, China’s 30-year-old world leader, opened at 214-11 (65.52) and that was enough to win, although she improved to 219-5 (66.88) in round 4. Ogrodníková’s second-round 206-10 (63.05) briefly put her in the runner-up spot, but Barber captured that for good with her fourth-round 212-5 (64.74). Said the winner, “I threw shorter than expected. I’ve had a cold and my technique isn’t that consistent.”

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Non-Diamond League Events

Zürich also featured a trio of women’s events that weren’t part of the DL structure.