Norwegian and Kenyan land Diamond League 1500m and 800m titles in style, while Noah Lyles and Mondo Duplantis break meeting records

The second instalment of the Diamond League final in Zurich on Thursday evening (September 8) produced a number of brilliant performances, but it was the runs of Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Emmanuel Korir which really stood out as they clocked the fastest times in the world this year for 1500m and 800m, respectively.

Previous middle-distance finals have seen some slow, tactical affairs but there was no chance of that happening in the 1500m as Matt Ramsden blasted a 54.19 first lap and powered through 800m in an exciting 1:51.41.

Predictably Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen moved to the front at the 1000m mark, which was reached in 2:19.9, and he kept the pressure on through the bell in 2:34.1 and 1200m in 2:48.1.

Despite the pace, he was still closely pursued by Tokyo runner-up Timothy Cheruiyot (2:48.3), former world leader Abel Kipsang (2:48.5), Olympic bronze medallist Josh Kerr (2:48.7) and the Australian duo of Commonwealth champion Ollie Hoare (2:48.9) and Stewart McSweyn (2:49.0).

The Norwegian increased the pace along the back straight to 13.9 for that 100m, with Cheruiyot still in touch, but a 13.5 for the following 100m opened up a three-metre gap and a 13.6 down the finishing straight gave Ingebrigtsen victory by well over a second.

His 3:29.02 improved his world lead from Lausanne by three hundredths of a second. Despite the fast pace his last lap was just under 55 seconds. Cheruiyot (3:30.27) and a fast-finishing Hoare (3:30.59) followed at a distance but still produced exceptional times.

Kerr faded to sixth in 3:31.85 with European runner-up Jake Heyward ninth in 3:34.27.

When it came to the men’s 800m contest, Korir proved his class with a world lead of 1:43.26. The Kenyan had lost out twice recently to world 1500m champion Jake Wightman – in Brussels over the two-lap distance and also in Monaco over 1000m – but this time the Olympic and world champion won out. Wightman again ran superbly for third place.

The pacemaker Patryk Sieradzki led the opening lap in a perfect 50.4 with Wightman third on 51.1 and Korir sixth in 51.4.

World bronze medallist Marco Arop put a stunning burst along the back straight, covering the 100m in an astonishing 12.2 to pass 600m in 76.8 with a good lead over Wightman (77.1) as Korir sat fifth in 77.4.

The Canadian who ran 12.6 for the final bend to complete a 24.8 200m increased his lead slightly, with Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal second just ahead of Wightman. However, Arop was unable to hold that speed and was caught late by Korir, who had entered the straight fifth but used his 44-second 400m speed to knock Max Burgin’s 1:43.52 off of the top of the world rankings. Arop went second in the world rankings with his brave 1:43.38.

Wightman did get the better of Kinyamal for third but a laboured 14.1 last 100m meant he missed his Brussels PB as he again underlined his future global medal capabilities at the shorter event.

Noah Lyles has not yet broken any of Usain Bolt’s better-known records but he did get one here as the world 200m champion demolished a quality field with a five-metre win in 19.52 (-0.6) to break the Jamaican’s meeting record of 19.66 from 2012.

The American led all the way and was timed at 10.1 at 100m and 14.7 at 150m, with Aaron Brown and Alexander Ogando (both 20.02) finishing strongly to catch a fading Erriyon Knighton and Kenneth Bednarek (both 20.20).

With no Karsten Warholm or Rai Benjamin, world champion Alison Dos Santos was always going to dominate the 400m hurdles and he came close to the Norwegian’s 2019 meeting record (46.92) with a superb 46.98.

The Brazilian led throughout, passing 100m in 11.2, 200m in 21.9 and 300m in 33.8. World championships fifth-placer Khallifah Rosser excelled, coming second in 47.76, with fellow American CJ Allen third in 48.21.

In the 400m, with no world champion Michael Norman, Eugene runner-up and former Olympic and world champion Kirani James dominated the race to win comfortably in 44.26, with Bryce Deadmon second in 44.47 and Vernon Norwood third in 44.66. World bronze medallist and European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith was a late withdrawal.

Another formal multi global champion – the world record-holder Wayde van Niekerk – won a separate, non-Diamond League 400m race in 44.39 from Wilbert London’s 44.78. Alex Haydock-Wilson was fifth in 45.93.

With just 0.01 of a second covering the three fastest 110m hurdlers on 2022 times, a close race was expected and it was world champion Grant Holloway who came out on top with 13.02 (-1.0) from Commonwealth winner Rasheed Broadbell (13.06).

Olympic champion Hansle Parchment was third (13.26) just ahead of European champion Asier Martinez (13.29) and world silver medallist Trey Cunningham (13.30).

The men’s steeplechase was a predictable affair and, after the race began with a promising 2:40.32 kilometre, it slowed to 5:27.90 at 2000m and Olympic and world champion Soufianne El Bakkali was able to enjoy a clear win with a 2:39 final kilometre and 62-second closing circuit.

Olympic and World fourth-placer Getnet Wale has not really made the most of his 7:24.98 flat speed but he did finish second here in 8:08.56 with Eugene fifth-placer Abraham Kibiwot third in 8:08.61. Japan’s Ryuji Miura, the sole non African, was fourth in a season’s best of 8:12.65.

The men’s 100m has often been a Diamond League final highlight but that wasn’t the case here. A curious and disappointing line-up, which saw just two of the 12 fastest men of 2022 participating, was easily won by World Championships bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell, a clear winner in 9.94 (0.3).

The 2011 world champion Yohan Blake had one of his best recent big-event runs with 10.05 in second just ahead of Aaaron Brown (10.06) and Akani Simbine (10.07). Briton Reece Prescod was sixth in 10.16.

There were no pole vault world records for Mondo Duplantis but he did provide the field highlight and improve his meeting record by a centimetre with a 6.07m leap, having wrapped up victory with a 5.91m clearance.

Sondre Guttormsen, only tenth in Eugene, excelled here to set a PB and equal the Norwegian record with a third-time clearance of 5.86m, his 12th jump of the competition.

Olympic and world silver medallist Chris Nilsen beat former Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie on countback as both cleared 5.81m to finish third.

Despite an early-season world lead of 17.64m, Cuban Andy Diaz Hernandez did not compete in Eugene but with his one good jump – an opening round PB of 17.70m (-0.8) – he narrowly defeated Olympic, World and European champion Pedro Pichardo who opened up with 17.63m (-0.4) and what turned out to be his only 17-metre leap of the evening.

Jordan Diaz was third but at least had two good jumps as his 17.60m (-1.6) was backed up by a 17.55m (-0.5). Hugues Fabrice Zango, the World Championships silver medallist, was fourth with a 17.43m leap.

In the men’s discus competition, world champion Kristjan Ceh led throughout as he opened with a throw of 64.42m, improving to 66.79m in the second round and then 67.10m with his final effort.

Olympic bronze medallist Lukas Weisshaidinger was second with a 65.70m throw while the 2017 world champion Andrius Gudzius was third with 65.28m.

European decathlon silver medallist Simon Ehammer beat Olympic long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou last week in Lucerne but it was a no contest when it mattered as the Greek took the lead with an 8.14m (-0.7) second jump, regained it with 8.33m (0.3) and confirmed his dominance with an 8.42m (0.0) final jump.

Marquis Dendy was clearly the second-best with jumps of 8.16m (-0.5) and then 8.18m (0.5).

Olympic bronze medallist Maykel Masso was third again with 8.05m as Ehammer disappointed with 7.93m in fifth.

There was another Olympic winner in the javelin as Indian star Neeraj Chopra dominated with the three best throws, peaking with an 88.44m second-round effort, but he also threw 88.00m and 87.00m.

Olympic and European silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch was again runner-up courtesy of an 86.94m fourth-round throw while European champion Julian Weber was third with 83.73m.

To read about day one of the Diamond League final click here