Xiamen DL — Warholm Clips Own 300H Record

XIAMEN, CHINA, April 26 — Karsten Warholm launched the Diamond League season with a bang, running a world best in the rarely-contested 300H. Starting in lane 7, the Norwegian star got out quickly and maintained a steady lead over the field for the first half before blowing the race out over the final three hurdles. His 33.05 topped the 33.26 he ran in ’21. While WA has announced that this will be an official WR distance, the ratification of records will wait for more global participation.

“This shows that the speed is there,” Warholm said. “This is a very good test for speed and hurdles so it is a very good first race for me. I am looking to win as much as I can, and improve my level as much as possible. I guess if we are running again in Bislett, we will push under the 33-second line. I am pretty sure.”

In the women’s 1000, Faith Kipyegon set out to add another WR to her collection, but she fell 0.23 short. Following the pacers, she covered the first two laps in 60.1 and 59.6 (1:59.7). A solo 29.5 for the final furlong gave her a 2:29.21, missing Svetlana Masterkova’s 2:28.98 from ’96 and her own African Record of 2:29.15.

“It was all good,” said Kipyegon. “It went how I wanted, just to start my season in a good way. I wanted to do my personal best which was very close to the World Record.”

One of the closest contests on the track was the 400, where Bayapo Ndori ran a confident first half to secure the lead, and then found more speed in the final stretch to hold off fast-closing American Chris Bailey, 44.25–44.27. Collen Kebinatshipi, who joined Ndori on Botswana’s silver medal 4×4 in Paris, placed 3rd in 44.53.

Grant Holloway’s rough spring season continued. The Olympic champion got off to an unexceptional start in the 110H, maintaining a lead for the first 6 barriers before Cordell Tinch, in lane 2, pulled even. By hurdle 9, Tinch was ahead, and Japan’s Rachid Muratake had also caught Holloway. After the final hurdle, Tinch charged to a convincing win in 13.06, Muratake 2nd in 13.14. Holloway, who touched down in 4th, opted to jog across the line, finishing last in 13.72.

Said Tinch, “I do not think it was very clean early on, but again I am gonna have to watch it back. Everything is such a blur when the gun goes off. It always makes you happy when you win some early, but I did the same thing last year and ended up getting hurt so I gotta make sure the body is healthy to keep building off of this.”

In the women’s hurdles, Grace Stark also experienced a late change in fortune. With Devynne Charlton stopping early, the Florida alum maintained a dominating lead for most of the distance and still led off the final barrier. However, she could not convert that momentum into a strong finish, and Jamaica’s Danielle Williams beat her to the line, 12.53–12.58.

Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet faced a phalanx of the best Ethiopians in the 5000 and with a lap to go still had 6 to deal with. She sprinted best in the final 200, her 26.6 handing her a 14:27.12 victory. Gudaf Tsegay led the Ethiopians with her 14:28.18 in 2nd.

Said Chebet, “I am so happy to see that my speed is still there.”

Another great match came in the men’s steeple, where Soufiane El Bakkali, in his season opener, fell to Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu. The Olympic champion led into the bell lap, but he had no answer to Firewu’s frantic sprint down the backstretch that rocketed him to the lead. The Ethiopian, 6th in the Paris Games, never let up, claiming the win in 8:05.61. El Bakkali finished in 8:06.66; it was only his second loss since ’21.

Resurgent Anavia Battle won the 200 in 22.41 over 2-time world champion Shericka Jackson (22.79). “That 15-hour flight hurt, but I had to suck it up and get out here and compete,” she said. “Me and my coach have been working on the first half of the race for my 100 so I feel like that has helped a lot.”

The men’s dash went to South African Akani Simbine in 9.99. He dominated, as Ferdinand Omanyala (10.13) took 2nd and farther back were notables Christian Coleman (4th, 10.18) and Letsile Tebogo (7th, 10.20).

“I stumbled a bit after the 60 so I had to catch myself,” said Simbine, “but I happened to catch the wind while catching the win.”

On the field, Germany’s Jessica Schilder threw a 67-2 (20.47) world leader to top Chase Jackson’s 66-7¾ (20.31). Valarie Allman took the discus with a 226-2 (68.95), a non-Oklahoma world leader. The javelin was won by Greece’s Elína Tzénggo at 212-5 (64.75).

Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the high jump with a modest (6-5½/1.97). The men’s horizontals went to China’s Zhang Mingkun (26-10/8.18) and Jamaica’s Jordan Scott (a PR 56-8/17.27). And Mondo Duplantis settled for 19-5 (5.92) in the vault. “Yeah, I’ll take the win,” said the man who in Xiamen set the first of his 3 WRs last year. “It was not the easiest day out there. I think probably for most of the guys, we had a little bit of trouble with the wind.”

---

XIAMEN DL MEN’S RESULTS

100(0.2): 1. Akani Simbine (SA) 9.99; 2. Ferdinand Omanyala (Ken) 10.13; 3. Jeremiah Azu (GB) 10.17; 4. Christian Coleman (US) 10.18; 5. Lachlan Kennedy (Aus) 10.18; 6. Emmanuel Eseme (Cam) 10.19; 7. Letsile Tebogo (Bot) 10.20.

400: 1. Bayapo Ndori (Bot) 44.25; 2. Chris Bailey (US) 44.27 PR; 3. Collen Kebinatshipi (Bot) 44.53; 4. Kirani James (Grn) 44.89; 5. Alexander Doom (Bel) 44.92;

6. Vernon Norwood (US) 45.03.

St: 1. Samuel Firewu (Eth) 8:05.61; 2. Soufiane El Bakkali (Mor) 8:06.66; 3. Simon Koech (Ken) 8:07.12; 4. Edmund Serem (Ken) 8:08.50 PR; 5. Hailemariyam Amare (Eth) 8:09.95 (5:26.29); 6. Ryuji Miura (Jpn) 8:10.11;… rabbit—Abderrafia Bouassel (Mor) (2:41.64).

110H(0.3): 1. Cordell Tinch (US) 13.06; 2. Rachid Muratake (Jpn) 13.14; 3. Junxi Liu (Chn) 13.24 PR; 4. Freddie Crittenden (US) 13.28; 5. Daniel Roberts (US) 13.35; 6. Enrique Llopis (Spa) 13.36; 7. Zhuoyi Xu (Chn) 13.37; 8. Shunsuke Izumiya (Jpn) 13.39; 9. Hansle Parchment (Jam) 13.49; 10. Grant Holloway (US) 13.72.

300H: 1. Karsten Warholm (Nor) 33.05 WR (old WR 33.26 Warholm ’21);

2. Matheus Lima (Bra) 33.98 NR; 3. Ken Toyoda (Jpn) 34.22 NR; 4. Berke Akçam (Tur) 34.50 NR; 5. Carl Bengtström (Swe) 34.75 NR; 6. Kyron McMaster (BVI) 34.95 NR; 7. Zhiyu Xie (Chn) 34.95 NR; 8. CJ Allen (US) 34.96 PR.

Field Events

PV: 1. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 19-5 (5.92) (18-5¼, 19-1, 19-5, 19-8½ [xxx]) (5.62, 5.82, 5.92, 6.01 [xxx]); 2. Emmanouíl Karalís (Gre) 19-1 (5.82); 3. Menno Vloon (Neth) 19-1; 4. Ben Broeders (Bel) 18-9¼ (5.72); 5. Ersu Şaşma (Tur) 18-9¼; 6. Kurtis Marschall (Aus) 18-5¼ (5.62); 7. Ernest John Obiena (Phi) 18-5¼; 8. Sam Kendricks (US) 18-5¼.

LJ: 1. Mingkun Zhang (Chn) 26-10 (8.18) PR; 2. Liam Adcock (Aus) 26-9 (8.15); 3. Marquis Dendy (US) 26-7 (8.10) (out AL); 4. Heng Shu (Chn) 26-6¼ (8.08); 5. Wayne Pinnock (Jam) 26-5½ (8.06); 6. Isaac Grimes (US) 26-1½ (7.96); 7. Bozhidar Saraboyukov (Bul) 26-¾ (7.94);

8. Tajay Gayle (Jam) 25-11 (7.90); 9. Jeremiah Davis (US) 25-10 (7.87).

TJ: 1. Jordan Scott (Jam) 56-8 (17.27) PR (f, 54-4¾, 56-8, f, 55-10¼) (f, 16.58, 17.27, f, 17.02); 2. Yaming Zhu (Chn) 55-10½ (17.03); 3. Donald Scott (US) 55-3½ (16.85); 4. Wen Su (Chn) 55-¾ (16.78); 5. Ethan Olivier (NZ) 54-2½ (16.52);

6. Connor Murphy (Aus) 54-1¾ (16.50); 7. Salif Mane (US) 53-11¼ (16.44); 8. Hugues Fabrice Zango (Bur) 53-10¼ (16.41).

XIAMEN DL WOMEN’S RESULTS

200(0.4): 1. Anavia Battle (US) 22.41; 2. Shericka Jackson (Jam) 22.79; 3. Jenna Prandini (US) 22.97; 4. Yujie Chen (Chn) 22.99 PR; 5. Amy Hunt (GB) 23.06; 6. Jessika Gbai (CI) 23.14; 7. Yuting Li (Chn) 23.37; 8. Twanisha Terry (US) 23.50; 9. Mujinga Kambundji (Swi) 23.51.

1000: 1. Faith Kipyegon (Ken) 2:29.21 (WL) (x, 3 W) (1:59.69);

2. Abbey Caldwell (Aus) 2:32.94 NR; 3. Sarah Billings (Aus) 2:33.45 PR;

4. Sage Hurta-Klecker (US) 2:33.45 PR (3, 3 A);

5. Natoya Goule-Toppin (Jam) 2:34.71; 6. Carley Thomas (Aus) 2:35.06 PR.

5000: 1. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 14:27.12 (WL) (5:41.41, 8:38.38);

2. Gudaf Tsegay (Eth) 14:28.18; 3. Birke Haylom (Eth) 14:28.80; 4. Hirut Meshesha (Eth) 14:29.29 PR (11:41.66); 5. Likina Amebaw (Eth) 14:30.54 PR; 6. Asayech Ayichew (Eth) 14:31.88 PR; 7. Aynadis Mebratu (Eth) 14:32.58; 8. Caroline Nyaga (Ken) 14:33.24; 9. Rose Davies (Aus) 14:40.83 NR; 10. Sembo Almayew (Eth) 14:41.75 PR.

100H(-0.2): 1. Danielle Williams (Jam) 12.53; 2. Grace Stark (US) 12.58; 3. Marione Fourie (SA) 12.62; 4. Tobi Amusan (Ngr) 12.74; 5. Pia Skrzyszowska (Pol) 12.81; 6. Tonea Marshall (US) 12.92; 7. Yanni Wu (Chn) 13.00; 8. Liz Clay (Aus) 13.19; 9. Nia Ali (US) 13.23;… dnf—Devynne Charlton (Bah).

Field Events

HJ: 1. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukr) 6-5½ (1.97) (missed 6-8/2.03); 2. Eleanor Patterson (Aus) 6-4¼ (1.94); 3. Nicola Olyslagers (Aus) 6-4¼; 4. Yuliya Levchenko (Ukr) 6-3¼ (1.91); 5. Morgan Lake (GB) 6-3¼; 6. Christina Honsel (Ger) 6-3¼; 7. Imke Onnen (Ger) 6-3¼.

SP: 1. Jessica Schilder (Neth) 67-2 (20.47) NR (WL) (67-2, f, 65-2, 65-6¼, 65-10¼, f) (20.47, f, 19.86, 19.97, 20.07, f);

2. Chase Jackson (US) 66-7¾ (20.31) (out AL); 3. Lijiao Gong (Chn) 64-4½ (19.62); 4. Maddie Wesche (NZ) 64-¼ (19.51); 5. Sarah Mitton (Can) 63-1¼ (19.23); 6. Maggie Ewen (US) 62-5¾ (19.04).

DT: 1. Valarie Allman (US) 226-2 (68.95) (184-2, 208-2, 226-2, 217-11, f, 216-2) (56.14, 63.46, 68.95, 66.42, f, 65.90); 2. Yaimé Pérez (Cub) 217-5 (66.26); 3. Lagi Tausaga (US) 212-11 (64.91); 4. Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 212-6 (64.79); 5. Bin Feng (Chn) 210-6 (64.17); 6. Sandra Elkasević (Cro) 208-6 (63.55).

JT: 1. Elína Tzénggo (Gre) 212-5 (64.75); 2. Tori Moorby (NZ) 205-1 (62.50); 3. Lingdan Su (Chn) 202-2 (61.62); 4. Qianqian Dai (Chn) 201-8 (61.47); 5. Marie-Therese Obst (Nor) 199-10 (60.91).