by Alfonz Juck
RABAT (MAR, May 28): The 14th edition of Meeting Mohammad VI in Rabat (in DL since 2016) was highlighted by the huge effort of the top Moroccan athlete of the current time, Olympic winner Soufiane El Bakkali. Also, Fred Kerley won the highly anticipated 100 m race, and Gudaf Tsegay ran a very fast women’s 1500 m. In total, 4 World leads, and 6 Meet records were registered. The surprise of the evening was Broadbell beating Holloway.
Short reviews
Men
100m: Fred Kerley confirmed his position as the World champion and won the highly expected race with 9.94 (0.1), a new meet record. He defeated a strong group of African sprinters; Akani Simbine was second (9.99), Ferdinand Omanyala third (10.05) with his first loss of the year, and Letsile Tsebogo fourth (10.09).
400m: Steven Gardiner, on a come-back trail, won in 44.70 over Vernon Norwood (45.11), as Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith did not finish the race.
800m: Kenyans dominated as Emmanuel Wanyonyi won in 1:44.36 ahead of Wycliffe Kinyamal (1:44.73) and Benjamin Robert of France (1:45.04 EL).
1500m: Jakob Ingebrigtsen opened the season in 3:32.59 after 54.3 last lap, over challenging Yared Nuguse of USA with 3:33.02 PB. Australia’s Oliver Hoare finished third (3:33.39), and Azeddine Habz of France fourth (3:33.90). All thirteen finishers were sub-3:40.
3000m steeple: Soufiane El Bakkali, in front of the home crowd, smashed his competitors and clocked a new world lead, meet record, and personal best of 7:56.68. He moved to the eighth all-time position and produced the best time since 2012. Personal bests also for second Getnet Wale (8:05.15) and third Abraham Kibiwot (8:05.51). In a deeper field, new PBs also for youngsters from Morocco, U20 Mohammed M Saad (8:16.18) and Salaheddine Ben Yazid (8:17.49).
110m hurdles: Rasheed Broadbell of Jamaica with 13.08 (-1.3), a new meet record, defeated in the last meters until then, leading Grant Holloway (13.12). Hansle Parchment (13.24) and Devon Allen (13.25) are distant behind.
Discus: Kristjan Ceh won the battle of three World champions throwing 70.32 (70.07–69.38–68.26–69.10–70.
Women
200m: Shericka Jackson improved her season best to 21.98 (0.8), a new meet record. Bahama’s Anthonique Strachan (22.15) and Tamari Davis (22.30) joined her on the podium, both with personal bests.
400m: Mary Moraa improved her season’s best to 1:58.72, with a clear victory after a very fast first lap (56.45) and huge margin over Catriona Bisset of Australia (2:00.11).
1500m: Ethiopia’s runners destroyed the field as Gudaf Tsegay clocked the world lead and meet record of 3:54.03 over Freweyni Hailu (3:57.65) and Birke Haylom (3:57.66 PB, 2nd best U18 ever). Italy’s Ludovica Cavalli finished eighth in a new PB 4:04.82.
400m hurdles: Shamier Little confirmed her shape and won in 53.95 ahead of Jamaicans Rushell Clayton (54.15) and Shiann Salmon (54.42). Former Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad was only fifth (55.72), and Morocco’s Noura Ennadi was seventh in a fast PB of 55.83.
High jump: Yaroslava Mahuchikh only showed her ‘private competition’ of four jumps, starting at 191 and finishing successfully in the first attempt at 201, a new world lead and meeting record. Second fellow Ukrainian Iryna Gerashchenko with 191.
Triple jump: Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez leaped to 14.84 (1.1), a new world lead and personal best, in a series of (14.08/1.7 – 14.84/1.1 – 14.66/1.5 – 14.01/0.1 – x – x). Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk was second with 14.65 EL (1.8), outperforming in the final attempt Shanieka Ricketts with 14.53 (1.0) to third position.
Shot put: Victory for Portugal’s Auriel Dongmo with 19.28, second Jessica Schilder of Netherlands with 18.85 in fifth attempt moving forward from sixth position.
