Warholm, Sportakova impress in Monaco Diamond League 2021

A number of top-class athletes participated in the meet.

The Monaco Leg of the Diamond League had its fair share of drama. Although, there were no world records broken, the 14 events did have their moments, with several athletes setting personal bests, season bests and even national records. A few athletes went ahead to set the best time of the calendar year, as the athletics league finished its sixth leg of the year.

Men’s Track

World record-holder Karsten Warholm breezed to victory in the 400m hurdles, setting a meet record in the process. His timing of 47.08s was 0.43s better than Alison dos Santos in second. Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot set a personal best of 3:28.28 in the 1500m event. The Kenyan looked in control during the whole race, even fending off a late push from Mohamed Katir, who broke the Spanish record en route to his second-place finish at the Monaco Diamond League.

A wrongly timed bell was at the center of attention in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, as Lamecha Girma edged ahead of Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot. The Ethiopian, along with another Kenyan Benjamin Kigen had reacted to a bell that was rung two laps ahead of the finish, instead of the usual one lap resulting in an unnecessary expense of energy. Kigen, who was running in first fell back to seventh owing to the miscommunication. Girma persevered to finish with a time of 8:07.75.

2012 London Olympics Silver medalist Nijel Amos won the 800m event. The 27-year-old from Botswana set a calendar year best time of 1:42.91. Kenyan Emmanuel Korir (1:43.04) finished second. American Ronnie Baker (9.91) made it another 100m victory after running under 10 seconds to clinch first place. Baker had previously won the Stockholm leg of the Diamond League. South African Akani Simbine, who won the Florence leg of the event, finished second by seven-hundredths of a second.

Men’s Field

World Championship Silver medalist Mikhail Akimenko won the high jump event after recording a 2.32m jump. Jumping under the ANA (Authorised Neutral Athletes) flag, Akimenko beat out Canadian Django Lovett. Lovett couldn’t clear 2.32m in four attempts. His best jump was 2.29m in the event.

World Champion Tajay Gayle had to settle for the second spot after fouling in the final jump of the long jump event. Miltiadis Tentoglou (8.24m) made the only legal jump in the final set to snatch first place. Swede Thobias Montler took third place.

Women’s Track

Laura Muir’s late push saw her win first place in the 800m event. The Brit finished 0.23 seconds ahead of compatriot Jemma Reekie. The race, which had a slow pace initially, had Jamaican Natoya Goule edging towards victory before a final push from the two Brits.

Faith Kipyegon dominated the 1500m event finishing 02.53 seconds clear in first place. The Kenyan set a personal best of 3:51.07, which turned out to be a Kenyan record. The lopsided race saw Sifan Hassan finish second, nearly three seconds ahead of Freweyni Hailu.

The 3000m steeplechase proved to be an entertaining spectacle with Kenyan Hyvin Kiyeng and American Emma Coburn locked in an intense battle. It looked to be set for a photo finish but an unfortunate mistake by Coburn on the final water jump opened up the race for Kiyeng who duly obliged. Beatrice Chepkoech capitalized on the Coburn mistake to finish second.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo claimed top spot in the 200m event with a timing of 22.23. The Bahaman athlete was running behind in the early stages, before a late push saw her edge out Ivorian Marie-Josee Talou by 0.02 seconds. Favoured Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, had to settle for third, despite leading the majority of the race.

Women’s Field

Highly favoured Venezuelan Yulimar Rojas failed to make a legal jump in the final set and finished second in the triple jump event at the Monaco Diamond League. Rojas had recorded a 15.12m jump in her second attempt, but that did not carry over to the final set. Jamaican Shanieka Ricketts took first place, while Patricia Mamona, who also failed to register a jump in the last set, took third place.

Two-time Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova rolled back the years when she clinched first place in the Javelin throw event. The 40-year-old beat recorded a throw of 63.08m in the final set, beating Pole Maria Andrejczyk and German Christin Hussong. The Pole would be disappointed with her final throw, after having recorded a throw of 63.63m in her first attempt.

American Katie Nageotte made it two wins in three editions when she beat ANA pole vaulter Anzhelika Sidorova at the Monaco Diamond League. Nageotte recorded a jump of 4.9m while Florence leg winner Sidorova could only manage 4.8m.

For more football updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and join our community on Telegram.