English
The skies above the Belgian capital cleared after a fierce afternoon shower, setting up a Diamond League finale in perfect conditions. The Memorial Van Damme played host to Diamond Race finals in sixteen disciplines.
Brussels regular Usain Bolt topped the bill on the 100 metres. The Jamaican had a slow start, but recovered with his scorching, trademark acceleration to clinch the win in a stellar 9.80, just four hundredths of a second shy of the meet record. Opponents Rodgers, Carter, Gatlin and Bailey-Cole all ran under ten seconds in a hugely competitive field.
Bolt’s female compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce did manage to break the meet record with a sublime 10.72. The Jamaican world champion also won the Diamond Race.
High flying Renaud Lavillenie set the stadium on fire, bettering a 19-year-old pole vault meet record. The Frenchman managed 5.96m, one centimetre higher than the legendary Sergey Bubka.
Milcah Chemos delivered the third meet record of the night. She conquered the 3000 metre steeplechase in 9:15.06 after a close sprint.
Jamaica’s vice world champion Warren Weir delivered on the 200 metres with a time of 19.87, sealing his Diamond Race triumph in the process.
Natasha Hastings took a shock win on the 400m in 50.36, beating Diamond Race winner Amantle Montsho. World champion Christine Ohuruogu could only manage fifth.
World and olympic champion Sandra Perkovic conquered the discus with a throw of 67.04m, having sealed the Diamond Race by a huge margin. Caterine Ibarguen also continued her triple jump dominance with a leap over 14.49m.
Diamond Race leader Javier Culson seemed to be on his way to a comfortable 400 metre hurdles win, but the Puerto Rican faded and only finished fourth. World champion Jehue Gordon won the race, but couldn’t keep Culson from winning the Diamond Race. Nobody could match Ryan Whiting in the shot put competition.
A thrilling women’s high jump contest turned into a Russian duel between Svetlana Shkolina and Anna Chicherova. While Chicherova gambled on skipping 2.00m and three unsuccessful attempts over 2.02m, Shkolina cleared the 2.00m bar and won the Diamond Race. Local talent Nafi Thiam got no higher than 1.87m, but was pleased to finish ninth.
French triple jump sensation Teddy Tamgho followed up on his world title with a solid set of attempts, the farthest leap reaching 17.30m.
Dawn Harper-Nelson beat Sally Pearson in a straight fight on the 100 metre hurdles and clinched the Diamond Race, her time of 12.48 beating Pearson’s 12.63. Belgian Anne Zagré came home in seventh in 12.88.
Mohammed Aman won a supremely fast 800m race. The Ethiopean world champion crossed the line in 1:42.38, a world leading performance. The other world leading time was delivered by Nelly Jepkosgei, who won the rather unusual 1000 metres.
The night’s finale, a 400 metre race featuring all three Borlée brothers, should have become an ultimate triumph for the Belgian crowd favourites. Jonathan Borlée looked on his way to a sure victory, but Britain’s Martyn Rooney beat the Belgian on the line. Both runners clocked a 45.05, but on the finish photo Rooney appeared to have the edge. Kevin Borlée was fourth in 45.39, younger brother Dylan could only manage ninth in 47.41.