PARIS, FRANCE, July 07 — Two of the sport’s toughest World Records came tumbling down at the Meeting de Paris, held at Stade Charléty, across town from where the Olympics will begin in less than a month.
Yaroslava Mahuchikh soared over 6-10¾ (2.10) to topple a high jump mark that had lasted 37 years, and then, Faith Kipyegon nipped her own global standard in the 1500, a mark little more than a year old.
The 22-year-old Ukrainian, the reigning world champion, began her day with an easy clearance of 6-3½ (1.92), a mark that 9 other women also cleared. She would need two attempts at 6-4¾ (1.95).
The next bar, 6-6 (1.98), is where the jumping became decisive. She made it on her first to take the lead. Australia’s World Indoor champion, Nicola Olyslagers, needed two attempts and Serbian teen Angelina Topić three. At 6-7 (2.01), both Mahuchikh and Olyslagers cleared on their second attempts, while Topić went out.
Then the bar went to 6-8 (2.03). On her second try, Mahuchikh soared over smoothly. Olyslagers bowed out. Mahuchikh asked that the bar be raised to a PR 6-9½ (2.07). Showing great speed on the apron, she cleared cleanly on her second attempt, moving to =No. 4 on the all-time world list. Never in better form, the young Ukrainian asked for the historic height. She immediately went after it, flying higher than any woman ever, only her shorts lightly brushing the bar. Stefka Kostadinova’s 6-10¼ (2.09), a mark set at the ’87 World Championships in Rome, was no more.
“I feel fantastic because it was an incredible jump, and I managed to do it in my first attempt,” gushed Mahuchikh, “My coach told me that maybe I should stop because of the Olympic Games coming up — of course, that is more important — but I felt inside I could do it, and, to be honest, I wanted to try the World Record, and I did it on my first attempt.”
Kipyegon signaled that her recovery from an early-season injury is no longer in doubt. In the meeting’s final event, she followed as the pacesetters went through laps in 61.42 and 62.40. Shortly after the 800 (2:03.82) the last rabbit stepped off. By then Kipyegon and Australia’s Jessica Hull had a dominating margin on the rest of the field, with Laura Muir and Linden Hall leading the chase. Kipyegon applied more pressure, a 60.94 lap for a 3:04.76 at 1200, and still Hull stayed close. Finally the Kenyan drew upon her immense strength to pull away over the final 200.
Her last 400 took just 59.32, and her 3:49.04 sliced a neat 0.07 off the 3:49.11 standard that she had set a year ago in Florence. Hull, mouth agape as she crossed the line, slashed more than 5 seconds off her Australian Record with her 3:50.83, becoming the No. 4 performer of all-time. Well back in 3rd, Muir broke her British Record at 3:53.79 to move to No. 9 ever as the top 8 all ran PRs.
“I am in the right direction towards the Paris Olympics,” said Kipyegon. “I have come from far because of the injury and recovery. After the Trials I knew that I was in World Record shape, I ran the fastest time in Kenya with the altitude [3:53.98]. It showed me that I was capable of breaking the World Record again. We just tried, because everything is possible. Jessica was really good, I felt that she was behind me and I had to be careful because you never know if something can happen. But I just relaxed and ran my race.”
Said Hull, “I felt amazing out there, and couldn’t believe it. I knew Faith kept looking back at me in the backstraight, and I thought, ‘I must be running really fast here if she is worried.’ I mean, I knew I was really fit… I did not want to hold it until next month because I had it in me today.”
The steeple showed Bahrain’s Winifred Yavi to be in strong shape. After WR holder Beatrice Chepkoech led past 2K in 6:07.42, she faded, leaving the lead to Yavi, who had no trouble outkicking her pursuers in 9:03.86. Alice Finot scored a French Record 9:05.01 and Britain’s Elizabeth Bird ran 3rd in 9:09.07. Fourth went to the fast finish of American Olivia Markezich, who nipped her PR with a 9:14.67.
Marileidy Paulino put another notch in her undefeated 400 campaign, running away from ’19 world champion Salwa Eid Naser to score the win in 49.20. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek finished well to tag Naser at the line, both hitting 49.82. American Alexis Holmes ran 4th in 50.02
“The race went really well, especially the first part,” Paulino said. “Preparation is going well, too. This was my last race before the Olympics.”
The 100 produced a surprise in a race that looked like it would be between Poland’s Ewa Swoboda and Trials finalist TamaraClark. Gina Bass of Gambia got out best, and nearly carried her lead to the line, but was surprised in the final steps by Luxembourg’s Patrizia van der Weken, running 11.06 into a stiff 2.0 wind. Bass finished in 11.08 to Swoboda’s 11.16. Clark finished 5th in 11.32 behind Mujinga Kambundji (11.22).
In the discus, Valarie Allman produced two throws better than Jorinde van Klinken’s 220-7 (67.23), topped by a final round 223-4 (68.07). Said Allman, “It was such a quick turnaround from our Olympic Trials, to coming out here just a few days later, and to competing against some of the best in the world. I could tell my technique wasn’t exactly where I wanted it to be, but I’m glad I can compete, throw by throw, and go against the best in the world. I think this really reminds me of how it is going to be at the Olympics, everybody wants to win, it´s a dog fight, and you can´t take it for granted.”
Brooke Andersen worked to assuage some of her Trials disappointment with a meet record 240-4 (73.27) to win the hammer. Italy’s Larissa Iapichino leaped a third-round 22-4½ (6.82) to take the long jump from Bulgaria’s Plamena Mitkova (22-3/6.78) and American Quanesha Burks (22-1/6.73).
PARIS DL WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(-2.0): 1. Patrizia van der Weken (Lux) 11.06; 2. Gina Bass (Gam) 11.09; 3. Ewa Swoboda (Pol) 11.16; 4. Mujinga Kambundji (Swi) 11.22; 5. Tamara Clark (US) 11.32.
400: 1. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 49.20; 2. Natalia Kaczmarek (Pol) 49.82; 3. Salwa Eid Naser (Bhr) 49.82; 4. Alexis Holmes (US) 50.02; 5. Laviai Nielsen (GB) 50.67 PR; 6. Lieke Klaver (Neth) 50.89.
1500: 1. Faith Kipyegon (Ken) 3:49.04 WR (old WR 3:49.11 Kipyegon ’23) (3:04.76);
2. Jessica Hull (Aus) 3:50.83 NR (4, 7 W); 3. Laura Muir (GB) 3:53.79 NR (9, x W);
4. Linden Hall (Aus) 3:56.40 PR; 5. Georgia Bell (GB) 3:56.54 PR; 6. Susan Ejore (Ken) 3:57.26 PR; 7. Sarah Healy (Ire) 3:57.46 PR; 8. Agathe Guillemot (Fra) 3:58.05 NR; 9. Katie Snowden (GB) 3:58.13; 10. Ciara Mageean (Ire) 3:58.69; 11. Nigist Getachew (Eth) 3:58.98 PR; 12. Esther Guerrero (Spa) 3:59.74 PR; 13. Cory McGee (US) 4:01.18;… rabbits—Daniela Garcia (Spa) (61.42), Charlotte Pizzo (Fra) (2:03.82).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 1-3, 7, 9-12)
St: 1. Winfred Yavi (Bhr) 9:03.68; 2. Alice Finot (Fra) 9:05.01 NR; 3. Elizabeth Bird (GB) 9:09.07; 4. Olivia Markezich (US) 9:14.67 PR; 5. Lea Meyer (Ger) 9:15.48; 6. Marwa Bouzayani (Tun) 9:15.54; 7. Alicja Konieczek (Pol) 9:17.20 PR; 8. Daisy Jepkemei (Kaz) 9:21.75; 9. Beatrice Chepkoech (Ken) 9:27.21 (6:07.42);… rabbit—Jackline Chepkoech (Ken) (2:56.65).
Field Events
HJ: 1. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukr) 6-10¾ (2.10) WR (old WR 6-10¼/2.09 Stefka Kostadinova [Bul] ’87)
(6-3½, 6-4¾ [2], 6-6, 6-7 [2], 6-8 [2], 6-9½ PR [=4, =5 W] [2], 6-10¾) (1.92, 1.95 [2], 1.98, 2.01 [2], 2.03 [2], 2.07 [2], 2.10);
2. Nicola Olyslagers (Aus) 6-7 (2.01) (6-2, 6-3½, 6-4¾ [2], 6-6 [2], 6-7 [2], 6-8 [xxx]) (1.88, 1.92, 1.95 [2], 1.98 [2], 2.01 [2], 2.03 [xxx]);
3. Angelina Topić (Srb) 6-6 (1.98) =NR, =NJR (=7, x WJ);
4. Lamara Distin (Jam) 6-4¾ (1.95); 5. Eleanor Patterson (Aus) 6-4¾; 6. Nawal Meniker (Fra) 6-4¾ PR; 7. Iryna Gerashchenko (Ukr) 6-4¾; 8. Britt Weerman (Neth) 6-3½ (1.92); 9. Morgan Lake (GB) 6-3½; 10. Solene Gicquel (Fra) 6-3½ PR; 11. Nadezhda Dubovitskaya (Kaz) 6-2 (1.88); 12. Christina Honsel (Ger) 6-2 (1.88); 13. Nafi Thiam (Bel) 6-2.
LJ: 1. Larissa Iapichino (Ita) 22-4½ (6.82); 2. Plamena Mitkova (Bul) 22-3w (6.78) (21-8/6.60); 3. Quanesha Burks (US) 22-1 (6.73); 4. Marthe Yasmine Koala (Bur) 21-10¾ (6.67); 5. Hilary Kpatcha (Fra) 21-10 (6.65); 6. Natalia Linares (Col) 21-8¾ (6.62); 7. Malaika Mihambo (Ger) 21-8 (6.60); 8. Milica Gardašević (Ser) 21-5½ (6.54); 9. Mikaelle Assani (Ger) 20-11¼ (6.38); 10. Ivana Španović (Ser) 20-3 (6.17).
DT: 1. Valarie Allman (US) 223-4 (68.07) ; 2. Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 220-7 (67.23); 3. Alida van Daalen (Neth) 215-10 (65.78); 4. Marike Steinacker (Ger) 212-1 (64.64); 5. Sandra Elkasević (Cro) 211-4 (64.42); 6. Liliana Cá (Por) 203-3 (61.96); 7. Kristin Pudenz (Ger) 201-9 (61.49); 8. Mélina Robert-Michon (Fra) 199-9 (60.88).
Non-DL HT: 1. Brooke Andersen (US) 240-4 (73.27); 2. Alexandra Tavernier (Fra) 228-9 (69.73); 3. Janee’ Kassanavoid (US) 228-6 (69.66).
