Americans Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson cemented their status as fastest in the world this year with victories at the Weltklasse Diamond League meeting on Thursday.
Richardson, who captured her first world 100m title in Budapest last week in a sizzling 10.65 seconds, pulled away from the field over the final 30 metres in Zurich to cross in 10.88.
“Honestly, just knowing that my training has gotten me here - physically training, mentally training, emotionally training myself - to understand what it takes to finish an entire season and beyond the world championships, everything has been for one, my mind, body, and soul,” she said.
Lyles, golden in the sprint treble of 100, 200 and 4x100 relay in Hungary, held off American team mate Erriyon Knighton to win the 200 in 19.80, an impressive time in the chilly 16 C conditions. Knighton clocked 19.87 in second.
ZURICH DIAMOND LEAGUE HIGHLIGHTS
“It is business as usual,” Lyles said. “Everybody wants to beat me and everybody wants the cake and the crown, but I am not giving it to them.”
Thursday’s Diamond League was the first major meet since the world championships ended on Sunday and featured 14 winners from Budapest.
Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson maintained her dominance over 200m with an easy victory. Four days after her jaw-dropping 21.41 time in Budapest - the second fastest in history - she ran 21.82.
“I have two more races,” Jackson said. “This full house is wonderful, I enjoyed the atmosphere a lot. I wanted to come out here and perform.”
Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands handed world record holder Karsten Warholm his first 400 hurdles loss this season, taking victory in 47.27 to edge the weary-looking world champion Norwegian who crossed in 47.30.
“The next time, it will be my time for revenge but we are all very good competitors,” Warholm said. “The level is so high, I cannot have bad days anymore. The world championship was the most important thing, but of course I want to win everything.”
Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela won the women’s triple jump and, unlike the world championships where she barely squeaked into the final before securing victory with her final attempt, the Olympic champion and world record holder leapt 15.15 metres to win by almost half a metre.
“Today, I wanted to enjoy and make the best out of every jump,” Rojas said.
Armand Duplantis of Sweden sailed over 6.00 metres to win the pole vault. The Olympic champion and twice reigning world champion failed on three attempts at 6.23 - what would have been the seventh time he has bettered the world record.
Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim of Qatar cleared 2.35 metres to win the men’s high jump to earn a bit of redemption after his disappointing bronze in Budapest.
Yared Nuguse of the U.S. pipped Briton Josh Kerr at the line to win the men’s 1,500m by two hundredths of a second. Kerr’s upset of Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen over the same distance was one of the highlights of last week’s worlds.
“My mindset is always ‘Never give up. Keep going, keep trying’,” Nuguse said. “I was going for it when Kerr opened on the inside.
“I always have a strong finish, I am pretty happy now. I would say that I kept this race interesting,” he added with a laugh.
Winfred Yavi of Bahrain passed world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya with a lap remaining in a carbon copy of her world victory to win the women’s 3,000 steeplechase.
Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia won a men’s 5,000 race in which Lamecha Girma, the world record holder in the 3,000 steeplechase, dropped out with two laps to go.
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