ZÜRICH, SWITZERLAND, September 05 — The rainy, cold evening at the Letzigrund didn’t keep Sha’Carri Richardson from commanding a spectacular Weltklasse rematch with Olympic conqueror Julien Alfred. For most of the race, though, someone else led. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith caught a lightning start and held the lead for the first 80m-plus. Richardson, in 3rd, hit her stride then and pulled past both Alfred and Asher-Smith to claim the win in 10.84 on the wet track.
“I am training and executing because I know the race is not going to take care of itself,” said the victor.
Alfred nipped Asher-Smith at the line, 10.88–10.89, with Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith 4th in 10.93. Said Alfred, “It felt good. I’m just having fun. I am trying to finish strong.”
In the 800, Shafiqua Maloney went out hard, with the rabbit, Poland’s Angelika Sarna, only catching her at 200. The two were still far ahead of the field as Sarna passed 400 in 55.60. Favored Mary Moraa ran a well-back 3rd approaching the bell, but was passed then by American Addy Wiley. Down the backstretch they flew, with the Kenyan fighting into the lead at 600 (1:26.87) and Britain’s Georgia Bell coming up to challenge Wiley as well, as Maloney faded. On the straight, the Kenyan flipped to another gear and pulled away for the win in 1:57.08. Bell needed much of that straight to finally get ahead of Wiley and finish 2nd, 1:57.94–1:58.16, with Jemma Reekie 4th in 1:58.49.
The 5000 was billed as a WR attempt, with Beatrice Chebet, the Olympic champion at 5000/10,000, running center stage behind pacers Katie Snowden and Georgia Griffith. The first 2 kilometers were almost perfect at 2:48.23 and 5:37.17. For 3K, the objective was for Griffith, the 3000 winner at Bislett in 8:24.20, to be leading at 8:25.0; the ask was too much. The Australian dropped two laps earlier. Running all alone, Chebet passed that post in 8:25.8.
Soon, however, she lost her grip on the wavelights and a 2:53.44 for the fourth K doomed her record chances. However, she still won by more than 100m, rallying quite well on the final lap for a 14:09.52 world leader and meet record. Ethiopia’s Ejgayejhu Taye finished 2nd in 14:28.76. Karissa Schweizer ran 4th in 14:47.50, and Elise Cranny was 8th (14:54.33).
Said Chebet, “I really wanted to run the WR, but I missed it due to the weather. And the pacemaker was supposed to pace until 3000, but she dropped off earlier. I used a lot of energy to push. It was not easy. I was not tired in the second half of the race. I got somebody´s spikes onto my leg at the beginning, now it is bleeding. I will have to talk to my coach about another attempt for the WR. I guess I do not have the WR in my legs anymore for 2024. Next year.”
For much of the 400H, it looked as if Shamier Little was on her way to stealing an upset. She led quite strongly through hurdle 8, though she had some contact with that barrier that rendered her shaky for the run-in. Silver medalist Anna Cockrell moved ahead at hurdle 9, but was run down before the finish by the surprising Shiann Salmon, the Olympic 6th-placer from Jamaica. Salmon PRed at 52.97 ahead of Cockrell’s 53.17, with Little fading to 54.07.
“I came into this race with a strategy to come out, keep it up until the homestraight and then finish strong,” said Salmon. “I did that and I came with the victory so I am grateful. It was not something new, it was just executed well tonight. I really wanted to end up the season with a 52 and I did it.”
The evening’s final individual event was the 100H, which brought together the top 5 from Paris. With an 0.8 wind at their backs, this time it was Jasmine Camacho-Quinn who got out best. The Puerto Rican steadily built her lead over France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela and hit the finish in 12.36 to the silver medalist’s 12.40. Behind them, Masai Russell’s strong lean edged Grace Stark at the line, 12.47–12.49.
Camacho-Quinn, with her fourth race in a row at 12.35-12.36, said, “I guess I am just stuck at a certain time. Brussels? I am tired… we will see. The goal for these post-Olympic races is to stay positive, make some money and have some fun. In the box I am always calm and confident. The end of the season is for cash.”
The rain made high jumping more than difficult, but yet the finish order still looked very familiar. Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh was the only one who could clear 6-5 (1.96), so she took the win after three misses at 6-6¾ (2.01). Silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers placed 2nd over bronze co-winner Iryna Gerashchenko, both clearing 6-4 (1.93).
The previous day’s pole vault in the Hauptbahnhof — the city’s central train station — stayed dry through the convenience of a roof overhead. Nina Kennedy continued her hot streak. The Olympic champion stayed clean until she needed two attempts to get over 15-9¾ (4.82), a height that only fellow medalists Alysha Newman and Katie Moon were able to master with her. The bar went to 15-11¾ (4.87) and Kennedy cleared on her first attempt. Newman went out and Moon missed once and passed.
That delayed the decision until 16-1¾. Both Moon and Kennedy missed their first attempts. When Moon missed her second and went out, Kennedy opted to give a PR 16-2¾ (4.95) a go, but it wasn’t to be. “I do not know if I am unbeatable,” she said, adding, “2024 has been the best season in my career with seven wins. What is still missing is a new PB. I can never be disappointed in a competition with a win. Yet, I am a bit disappointed.”
ZÜRICH DL WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(0.1): 1. Sha’Carri Richardson (US) 10.84; 2. Julien Alfred (StL) 10.88; 3. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 10.89; 4. Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith (CI) 10.93; 5. Tamari Davis (US) 11.06; 6. Tia Clayton (Jam) 11.09; 7. Daryll Neita (GB) 11.11; 8. Mujinga Kambundji (Swi) 11.14; 9. Gina Bass (Gam) 11.17.
Non-DL 400: 1. Henriette Jæger (Nor) 50.49; 2. Susanne Gogl-Walli (Aut) 50.60 NR.
800: 1. Mary Moraa (Ken) 1:57.08; 2. Georgia Bell (GB) 1:57.94; 3. Addy Wiley (US) 1:58.16; 4. Jemma Reekie (GB) 1:58.49; 5. Renelle Lamote (Fra) 1:58.82; 6. Prudence Sekgodiso (SA) 1:58.90; 7. Shafiqua Maloney (StV) 1:59.06; 8. Nia Akins (US) 1:59.85;… rabbit—Angelika Sarna (Pol) (55.60).
5000: 1. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 14:09.52 (WL) (x, 7 W) (8:25.72, 11:19.16) (67.4, 67.3 [2:14.7], 68.1 [3:22.8], 67.2 [4:30.0], 67.5 [5:37.5], 67.1 [6:44.6], 67.5 [7:52.1], 68.0 [9:00.1], 69.1 [10:09.2], 70.0 [11:19.2], 70.6 [12:29.8], 68.3 [13:38.1], 31.4) (8:25.8);
2. Ejgayehu Taye (Eth) 14:28.76; 3. Tsige Gebreselama (Eth) 14:39.05; 4. Karissa Schweizer (US) 14:47.50; 5. Melknat Wudu (Eth) 14:47.52; 6. Fotyen Tesfay (Eth) 14:47.53; 7. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 14:49.95; 8. Elise Cranny (US) 14:54.33; 9. Whittni Morgan (US) 14:54.89;… rabbits—Katie Snowden (GB) (2:48.23), Georgia Griffith (Aus) (5:37.17).
100H(0.8): 1. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PR) 12.36; 2. Cyrena Samba-Mayela (Fra) 12.40; 3. Masai Russell (US) 12.47; 4. Grace Stark (US) 12.49; 5. Nadine Visser (Neth) 12.54; 6. Danielle Williams (Jam) 12.57; 7. Keni Harrison (US) 12.57; 8. Pia Skrzyszowska (Pol) 12.90;… fs—Ditaji Kambundji (Swi).
400H: 1. Shiann Salmon (Jam) 52.97 PR; 2. Anna Cockrell (US) 53.17; 3. Shamier Little (US) 54.07; 4. Janieve Russell (Jam) 54.75; 5. Ayomide Folorunso (Ita) 55.26; 6. Andrenette Knight (Jam) 55.42.
Non-DL 4 x 100: 1. Switzerland 42.55; 2. Netherlands 43.46; 3. Belgium 43.52.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukr) 6-5 (1.96) (6-2¼, 6-4 [xx], 6-5, 6-7 [xxx]) (1.89, 1.93 [xx], 1.96, 2.01 [xxx]); 2. Nicola Olyslagers (Aus) 6-4 (1.93); 3. Iryna Gerashchenko (Ukr) 6-4; 4. Safina Sadullayeva (Uzb) 6-2¼ (1.89); 5. Eleanor Patterson (Aus) 6-2¼; 6. Lia Apostolovski (Slo) 6-2¼.
PV(9/04, train station): 1. Nina Kennedy (Aus) 15-11¾ (4.87) (WL);
2. Alysha Newman (Can) 15-9¾ (4.82); 3. Katie Moon (US) 15-9¾; 4. Angelica Moser (Swi) 15-7¾ (4.77) PR; 5. Sandi Morris (US) 15-3¾ (4.67); 6. tie, Pascale Stöcklin (Swi) & Amálie Švábíková (CzR) 14-10 (4.52); 8. Katerína Stefanídi (Gre) 14-10; 9. Roberta Bruni (Ita) 14-10; 10. Eliza McCartney (NZ) 14-4 (4.37).
