BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, September 05 — “There have been signs in practice of a throw like this being on the way,” said Rajindra Campbell.
The Jamaican (and wannabe Turk) was not talking about his first throw of 73-0 (22.25), where he took the lead of the shot at the DL Final. Nor was he referring to his 74-2½ (22.62) second throw, the PR that broke the Jamaican Record he had set last weekend in Brescia, Italy.
No, he meant round 6, when he wound up and blasted a world-leading 75-8¾ (23.08) to take his place among the giants of the event, becoming No. 3 all-time and only the fourth man to top the 23-meter barrier.
That left his pursuers far in arrears, with Americans Jordan Geist at 72-11¼ (22.23) and Joe Kovacs at 72-5¾ (22.09) taking the next two spots. European champion Leonardo Fabbri placed 4th at 72-3½ (22.03).
“To put it together today feels incredible,” said the 30-year-old Campbell. “The 23-meter line is a badge of honor for every shot putter, so I’m extremely grateful to have crossed it. There are still a lot of things that I can improve on, but every time I come closer to perfection the throw will be further. That is an exciting challenge.
“The World Record is definitely an ambition. If I can be more consistent next year, then the outlier will be at an even higher level. There are 2 more years left until the Olympics, which gives me time to become even better… I’m in my best shape ever.”
Campbell, who is coached by Brian Allen at Missouri Southern State, maintained that he still hopes to represent Türkiye at the ’28 Games, even though World Athletics, for now, at least, has shot that down.
The first men’s running event of the night was the 5000, where the pacing team set a solid pace (5:07.97 at 2K) before Biniam Mehary took over. The Ethiopian led the tight pack through 3000 in 7:41.98. Kenya’s Cornelius Kemboi shot to the front 3 laps later as the kicking began, the top 8 all still in contention.
Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew sprinted best, leading for the last 500-plus and charging a 53.4 over the final lap for a world-leading 12:45.70 win. Burundi’s Egide Ntakarutimana finished 2nd in 12:46.73 and Kemboi got ahead of Mehary, 12:47.29–12:47.78.
Graham Blanks, who had been in 2nd with 300 left, led the Americans with his 12:47.98 PR in 5th. It was the No. 4 all-time performance by an American and moved the Harvard alum to No 3 all-time U.S. performer. Nico Young was 6th in 12:48.12 (No. 5 performance on the U.S. ATL) and Grant Fisher, dropped with more than a mile to go, ended up 9th in 12:59.10.
The 200 produced the only American win of the night on the men’s side. Kenny Bednarek came in as the undefeated world leader and he absolutely ran like it. Fans hoping to see Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo regain form and challenge him were disappointed. Bednarek came through the first 100 with a big lead (10.07 to Tebogo’s 10.23 according to the timers) and the best part of his race was the final drive.
He could not be touched, powering away to an even bigger margin as Tebogo fell behind the other challengers. With a 0.8 wind at his back, the American tied his yearly world leader of 19.62. South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile sped to the runner-up spot in 19.89 with Makanakaishe Charambo edging Tebogo for 3rd, 19.99–20.01.
“I didn’t know that I had a gap on the other guys or how fast I was going,” explained Bednarek. “I was just focused on myself. I tried to execute well, put them away in the beginning and don’t look back… To get the win under these cold conditions and a bit of sickness, I can’t ask for more. Next week, if I execute well, I can drop a massive PB.”
The steeple confirmed that Gemechu Godana’s defeat of 6-time world No. 1 Soufiane El Bakkali at Chorzów was not a glitch. It might just have been a changing of the guard. The Ethiopian, only 20, stayed behind the pacer and then Kenyan Simon Koech. He burst into the lead on the final backstretch with the 30-year-old veteran on his heels. At the water jump, Godana gained another step of margin and his finishing speed again outstripped anything El Bakkali had.
Godana finished in 8:08.67, with El Bakkali at 8:10.03 and Koech 8:11.15. El Bakkali congratulated the winner and acknowledged that despite double golds at both the Olympics and the Worlds, he has been cursed at the DL Final. “Yet again I didn’t succeed. I won the final in 2022, but in total I’ve now already lost 8 finals. That’s a lot.”
Andy Díaz Hernández triple jumped a meet record 58-2½ (17.74) on his first attempt and that held up for the win against rival Pedro Pichardo, who improved to 57-5½ (17.51) on his final go. Díaz Hernández, now a 4-time champion, said he was disappointed. “I wasn’t satisfied with that [distance]. My goal was to beat the World Record.”
With only one javelin loss this season, Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage perhaps got worried when he found himself in 3rd before his round 3 throw. Trinidad’s Keshorn Walcott had led from the start with his 275-6 (83.99). Then in round 3, Poland’s Dawid Wegner passed him with a PR 286-11 (87.47). Up next, Pathirage knew he needed a suitable response. It came in the form of a soaring 292-1 (89.04) that held up for the win.
“The conditions were difficult today,” said Pathirage. “I’m used to much higher temperatures.”
The final event of the night was more a victory lap than a race. Alison dos Santos — still riding a well-deserved wave of attention following his 45.80 WR in Zürich — didn’t have to face his biggest competitors here, with Karsten Warholm absent and Rai Benjamin on sabbatical (mostly) from the hurdles.
So it was no surprise that the Brazilian built a huge lead early on and continued unpressed to the line, winning by 1.33 with his 46.70. Trevor Bassitt trailed in 48.03. Even though dos Santos had not maxed out — it was the No. 8 time of his career — he took down an MR notable for its longevity. Andre Phillips had set the old best of 47.51 exactly 40 years earlier.
“I’m happy to take the win here,” he said. “There’s now one more competition left in Budapest and I want to be the Ultimate Champion.” Joining him on the entry list for next week: Warholm and Benjamin.
BRUSSELS DL MEN’S RESULTS DAY 2
200(0.8): 1. Kenny Bednarek (US) 19.62 (=WL, =AL);
2. Sinesipho Dambile (SA) 19.89; 3. Makanakaishe Charamba (Zim) 19.99; 4. Letsile Tebogo (Bot) 20.01; 5. Courtney Lindsey (US) 20.09; 6. Jose Figueroa (PR) 20.44; 7. Timothé Mumenthaler (Swi) 20.52.
St: 1. Gemechu Godana (Eth) 8:08.67; 2. Soufiane El Bakkali (Mor) 8:10.03; 3. Simon Koech (Ken) 8:11.15 (5:34.20); 4. Ruben Querinjean (Lux) 8:11.97; 5. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:14.03; 6. Edmund Serem (Ken) 8:15.26;… 10. Matthew Wilkinson (US) 8:19.04;… rabbit—Wilberforce Kones (Ken) (2:46.02).
5000: 1. Birhanu Balew (Bhr) 12:45.70 NR; 2. Egide Ntakarutimana (Bur) 12:46.73 NR; 3. Cornelious Kemboi (Ken) 12:47.29 PR; 4. Biniam Mehary (Eth) 12:47.78 (7:41.98);
5. Graham Blanks (US) 12:47.98 PR (3, 4 A);
6. Nico Young (US) 12:48.12 (x, 5 A);
7. Jacob Krop (Ken) 12:51.23; 8. Dominic Lobalu (Swi) 12:56.07; 9. Grant Fisher (US) 12:59.10; 10. Reynold Kipkorir (Ken) 13:22.24;… rabbits—Mounir Akbache (Fra) (2:34.01), Tshepo Tshite (SA) (5:07.97).
400H: 1. Alison dos Santos (Bra) 46.70; 2. Trevor Bassitt (US) 48.03; 3. Matheus Lima (Bra) 48.18; 4. Emil Nana Kwame Agyekum (Ger) 48.18; 5. Caleb Dean (US) 48.20; 6. Abderrahmane Samba (Qat) 48.24; 7. Matic Ian Guček (Slo) 48.33; 8. Nathaniel Ezekiel (Ngr) 48.37.
Field Events
TJ: 1. Andy Díaz Hernández (Ita) 58-2½ (17.74) (58-2½, 55-11, p, p, f, 56-10¼) (17.74, 17.04, p, p, f, 17.33); 2. Pedro Pichardo (Por) 57-5½ (17.51); 3. Jordan Scott (Jam) 56-4½ (17.18); 4. Yasser Triki (Alg) 55-7¾ (16.96); 5. Almir dos Santos (Bra) 53-10½ (16.42);… nm(f, f, p)—Lázaro Martínez (Cub).
SP: 1. Rajindra Campbell (Jam) 75-8¾ (23.08) NR (3, x W) (73-0, 74-2½, f, 71-11, 70-1½, 75-8¾) (22.25, 22.62, f, 21.92, 21.37, 23.08);
2. Jordan Geist (US) 72-11¼ (22.23); 3. Joe Kovacs (US) 72-5¾ (22.09); 4. Leonardo Fabbri (Ita) 72-3½ (22.03); 5. Roger Steen (US) 71-3½ (21.73); 6. Tom Walsh (NZ) 71-1¼ (21.67).
JT: 1. Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage (SrL) 292-1 (89.04) (263-10, 261-7, 292-1, 282-0, 281-4, f) (80.42, 79.73, 89.04, 85.96, 85.76, f); 2. Dawid Wegner (Pol) 286-11 (87.47) PR; 3. Keshorn Walcott (Tri) 275-6 (83.99); 4. Anderson Peters (Grn) 274-7 (83.70); 5. Julius Yego (Ken) 251-11 (76.79); 6. Timothy Herman (Bel) 235-6 (71.79); 7. Curtis Thompson (US) 228-1 (69.52).
