Emma Zapletalová
Emma Zapletalová and Marileidy Paulino impressed over one lap of the track in Doha, setting meeting records in the 400m hurdles and 400m, respectively, during the Wanda Diamond League meeting yesterday.
Zapletalová’s 52.30 improved her own world-leading Slovakian record and moved her to sixth on the world 400m hurdles all-time list. World leads were also set in both triple jump contests, Davisleydi Velazco joining the 15-metre club and Pedro Pichardo making a statement on his season debut.
Zapletalová has had a sensational season so far. The world bronze medallist is unbeaten in her specialism this year and after wins in Rabat, Rome and Oslo, she clinched her fourth consecutive Diamond League victory in her quickest time yet – 52.30 – to become the sixth-fastest women’s 400m hurdler in history.
On a hot evening in Qatar’s capital, the 26-year-old judged her race to perfection and won by three-quarters of a second ahead of Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton.
“I am very happy with my new personal best and national record,” said Zapletalová. “I am also satisfied that I did it as we planned with my coach.”
Dominican Republic’s Olympic champion Paulino also dominated her event, smashing Allyson Felix’s 18-year-old 400m meeting record by almost a second on her Diamond League season debut. Catapulting herself off the final bend, she stormed away from her rivals down the home straight to win in 48.91. Olympic bronze medallist Natalia Bukowiecka chased her over the finish line in 50.10, while Roxana Gómez was third in 50.23.
Velazco joins 15-metre club, Pichardo wins close contest
Cuba’s Velazco soared into the 15-metre club, winning the women’s triple jump with a world-leading PB of 15.13m (1.3m/s). With that fifth-round leap, the 26-year-old surpassed the wind-assisted 14.97m (2.5m/s) achieved in the second round by her compatriot Leyanis Pérez Hernández, the world and two-time world indoor champion, to secure her second consecutive Diamond League victory after her win in Oslo.
Improving her PB by 28 centimetres, Velazco achieved the farthest leap in the world since 2023 and her series also included jumps of 14.97m – which had matched the lead – and 14.69m. Pérez Hernández backed up her wind-aided mark with a wind-legal 14.93m (1.5m/s), just five centimetres off her PB. In a quality contest, Senegal’s world indoor bronze medallist Saly Sarr jumped a PB of 14.86m for third place.
Portugal’s two-time world champion Pichardo won a close battle between global medallists in the men’s triple jump, leaping a world lead of 17.71m (0.4m/s) to triumph by two centimetres ahead of Jamaica’s Jordan Scott. The top three were separated by only four centimetres, Yasser Triki improving his own Algerian record to 17.67m (0.4m/s).
Scott, the world indoor silver medallist, improved his PB to 17.69m (1.7m/s) from his opening attempt – a mark he matched in the fourth round – but Pichardo, in his first competition since winning world gold in Tokyo in September, responded with 17.71m in the second round to take the lead. Triki’s national record came in the fourth round, improving on his previous best of 17.43m set at the Tokyo Olympics.
Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis won the pole vault on countback. The world silver medallist, No.2 on the world all-time list thanks to his 6.17m clearance from February, this time managed a best of 5.92m on his second try – a height also cleared by Chris Nilsen and Sondre Guttormsen on their third attempts.
Sprint success for Dambile and Nelson
South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile has improved with each of his Diamond League races this season, following his third place in Rabat and runner-up finishes in Stockholm and Oslo with a 200m win in a PB of 19.74 (1.8m/s) in Doha. Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba was second in 19.88, matching his PB, while Alexander Ogando also dipped under 20 seconds, clocking 19.96.
Jamaica’s Kemba Nelson won the 100m – her first Diamond League victory – after a storming second half to her race. She strode away from her rivals and crossed the finish line in a wind-assisted 10.88 (2.5m/s) ahead of world indoor champion Zaynab Dosso (11.01) and Patrizia van der Weken (11.05).
World champion Cordell Tinch maintained his composure to win a 110m hurdles contest full of knocked barriers. Jamal Britt and Kendry Menéndez started well but as they hit a few hurdles, USA’s Tinch moved through the field to win in 13.23 (1.4m/s). Asier Martínez secured second place in 13.27 and Thomas Wilkes was third in a PB of 13.28.
USA’s world indoor bronze medallist Addison Wiley held off a strong challenge from Olympic silver medallist Tsige Duguma in the 800m to win her first Diamond League race – 1:57.98 to 1:58.08. Halimah Nakaayi was third in 1:58.41.
Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom dominated the 1500m, following her Diamond League win in Shanghai with another victory in 3:59.89. Saron Berhe closed the gap slightly in the closing stages but was still a couple of seconds back, securing the runner-up spot in 4:02.61. Haregeweyni Kalayu completed an Ethiopian top three in 4:03.56 and Germany’s two-time world 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist Gesa Felicitas Krause ran a PB of 4:04.28 for fourth place.
Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa held off her compatriot Likina Amebaw, the world leader, to win the 5000m. They both managed to stay out of trouble during a last lap that saw Fantaye Belayneh and Asayech Ayichew fall, Eisa reaching the finish line in 14:53.91, a couple of strides ahead of Amebaw (14:54.37). Marta Alemayo, the two-time world U20 cross-country champion, was third in 14:55.65.
Morocco’s two-time Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali won the 3000m steeplechase, maintaining his unbeaten season in 8:09.28 after his Diamond League wins in Rabat and Stockholm. Samuel Firewu was second in 8:10.44 and Daniel Arce was third in 8:13.35.
Sri Lanka’s world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage won the javelin by more than two metres, throwing 88.68m to beat two-time world champion Anderson Peters (86.38m). Pathirage now has the top five winning marks of the season.
Italy’s world U20 silver medallist Matteo Sioli soared to his second Diamond League victory in the high jump, following his win on home soil in Rome with a 2.29m clearance to triumph again. Home favourite Mutaz Barshim was second on 2.27m.
