by Alfonz Juck
Sifan Hassan, photo by IAAF Diamond League
Dina Asher-Smith, photo by IAAF Diamond League
Noah Lyles, photo by IAAF Diamond League
The final meet of the Diamond League, the Brussels Diamond League is also known as the Memorial Van Damme. The final sixteen champions of the DL 2019 season were named. EME News provided the updates below.
Lyles 19.74, Asher-Smith 10.88, D. Williams 12.48
BRUSSELS (BEL, Sep 6): Plans to double ended with positive outcome at the AG Memorial Van Damme. Noah Lyles won after 100 m also the 200 m and Sifan Hassan after 1500 m also the 5000 m. But Taylor won 7th triple Diamond and Cheruiyot, Lasitskene and Stefanidi fourth DL trophy. Only meet record in men´s triple jump by Taylor 17.85 windy (+2.1) and 17.66 legal (+0.1). On a chilly evening the full stadium celebrated fast 100 m by Asher-Smith and hurdles by Danielle Williams. Next year there will be only one DL final in Zurich, but Van Damme will be staged as regular DL fixture with works expected at the stadium in phases which will allow to organise the meet.
Short reviews
Men
Go, @LylesNoah! 💨 Go! 💨
The first-ever athlete to win the 100m & 200m @Diamond_League trophies in the same season! #DLFinal | #BrusselsDL pic.twitter.com/2SAYm3G1V1
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) September 6, 2019
200m: Noah Lyles was not as dominant as expected due to some difficulties (stomach) but took the 19.74 win to become the first man to complete the 100m and 200m trophy double in the Diamond League. It was also his third 200 m DL title. Ramil Guliyev was second in a season’s best of 19.86 EL. Andre De Grasse was third in a year best 19.87. Four US sprinters can be now in Doha in the 200 m.
400m: World No.1 Michael Norman had by far the strongest finish as he won in 44.26 (first DL Diamond), overtaking US champion Fred Kerley (44.46). Third was Akeem Bloomfield in 44.67. Also here Norman won a new place for US 400 m runner in Doha.
400m (National): Machel Cedenio won in 44.93 from Matthew Hudson-Smith 45.53, with Kevin Borlee third (45.89).
1500m: Timothy Cheruiyot was a class apart as he retained his title in 3:30.22 (overall 4th DL win) despite erratic pacing (53.78/1:51.48/2:48.59). Jakob Ingebrigtsen was second in 3:31.62 and brother Filip was third in 3:33.33.
5000m (non-DL): Isaac Kimeli produced a home win, clocking a PB 13:13.02, with Ben True second in 13:16.75.
3000m steeplechase: Getnet Wale (8:06.92) held off the fast-finishing Soufiane El Bakkali (8:07.08) with Lamecha Girma third in a PB (8:07.66). First Ethiopian steeple DL title.
110m hurdles: With Daniel Roberts a late withdrawal, Orlando Ortega prevailed with 13.22 (his second DL trophy). Ronald Levy fought off Sergiy Shubenkov for second 13.31 to 13.33.
Triple jump: Christian Taylor won with 17.85 (+2.1) and went over MR (17.60) also with legal 17.66. He achieved his 7th DL Trophy and posted a significant win over world No.1 Will Claye, who could only manage 17.22m.
Daniel Stahl, photo by IAAF Diamond League
Discus: Daniel Stahl duly took his 11th win out of 13 this summer, registering 68.68m in round one for his first DL Trophy. Lukas Weisshaidlinger was second in 66.03m with Fedrick Dacres third in 65.27.
Women
And here’s the race! Thank you all so, so much for your lovely comments – you’ve made me smile!! That was my last race before the world champs so 🥳! Back into some training and then off to acclimatise in the Middle East! My first diamond wow oh wow 💎 #diamondleague xxx pic.twitter.com/SYIFh3TY23
— Dina Asher-Smith (@dinaashersmith) September 7, 2019
100m: Dina Asher-Smith, after the better start, held off the mid-race comeback of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, clocking a European lead 2019 10.88 (also her second fastest ever) to 10.95 (wind: -0.3). Marie-Jose Ta Lou was third in 11.09. It was the first DL Trophy for European female sprinter in the 100 m.
800m: Ajee Wilson took charge and ran home to a 2:00.24 win (first US woman winning the 800 m trophy) with Raevyn Rogers finishing quickly on 2:00.67. Winnie Nanyondo was third in 2:00.69.
5000m: Sifan Hassan dominated after a slow race, running inside 2:36 for the final kilometre to clock 14:26.26. She so doubled in DL 2019 after winning the 1500 m in Zurich with 59.7 last lap. Letesenbet Gidey was second in a season’s best 14:29.54, just holding off Konstanze Klosterhalfen (14:29.89). Hellen Obiri was fourth in 14:33.90.
100m hurdles: Danielle Williams was the emphatic winner in 12.46 as Kendra Harrison was second in 12.73. Nia Ali was third in 12.74. Four Jamaicans can run so in Doha the event after Williams got her first DL Trophy.
400m hurdles (non-DL): Canada’s Sage Watson gained the win in 55.58.
High jump: Mariya Lasitskene took her third consecutive DL trophy (and fourth overall) and 18th consecutive win with 1.99m. Yuliya Levchenko was second on 1.97m and Nafi Thiam third with 1.95m. Winner tried at 204.
Pole vault: Ekaterini Stefanidi gained her fourth DL trophy in succession, equalling her season’s best of 4.83m. Anzhelika Sidorova was second on the same height and Alysha Newman third with 4.77m.
Long jump: Malaika Mihambo took her ninth win out of nine this summer, over 7m for the fifth time with 7.03m. Brittney Reese recovered from a bad start to take second with 6.85m in the last round. Katarina Johnson-Thompson was third with 6.73m. First DL win for German long jumper.
Yaime Perez, photo by IAAF Diamond League
Discus: Bouncing back from her Paris mishap, Yaime Perez defended her DL title with 68.27m as Sandra Perkovic was second on 66.00m. Kristin Pudenz was third with 63.73m.
