2023 Stockholm Diamond League: Armand Duplantis, Karsten Warholm, Tobi Amusan and Akani Simbine shine in Sweden
Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis, Karsten Warholm, Larissa Iapichino, Akani Simbine and Tobi Amusan among the gold medallists at the Stockholm Diamond League meeting on 2 July.
Athletics
The 2023 Diamond League athletics series reached its halfway point in Stockholm, Sweden where some of the world’s best and brightest track and field talent had to navigate inclement weather.
Early downpours and cool conditions added to the challenge, reducing the chances of record-breaking performances. The men’s pole vault, one of the main draw cards of the meeting, was delayed due to the weather.
The stoppage did not phase local hero and global superstar Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis as he cleared six metres in front of a loyal home crowd who stayed well after the meeting's scheduled time. Duplantis scaled 6.05m to claim the victory with Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines claiming silver with 5.82m. Pal Haugen Lillefosse of Norway bowed out with a season’s best of 5.72m for third.
The meeting featured other Olympic and world champions including Norwegian 400m hurdles sensation Karsten Warholm, and Nigerian sprint hurdles ace Tobi Amusan.
South Africa’s Akani Simbine sprinted to back-to-back Diamond League titles in the men’s 100m while Daryll Neit spearheaded a British 1-2 in the women’s 200m.
In the field, Italian long jumper Larissa Iapichino secured her third Diamond League title of the season while two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic got back to winning ways in the discus throw.
Read on to find out what happened when it happened at the Stockholm Diamond League 2023.
Warholm cruises to victory
Olympic champion Karsten Warholm battled both the elements and, what proved to be a solo effort, to win the men’s 400m hurdles.
Racing blind from lane eight, Warholm came out of the bend well in front to cross the line in a time of 47.57s. Kyron McMaster finished behind him in 48.94s with Rasmus Magi finishing third in 49.04s.
Warholm kicked off his 2023 season in his pet event in style posting a world-leading time of 46.52 in Oslo in June.
“I felt very good before the start but the conditions make it a little bit more challenging, but I felt I had to get in and got to post another good time, so I am very pleased,” Warholm said.
“I am 100 percent where I want to be, I am in a good position now, I am running fast times so I think I actually have never felt better in my career. So we continue. To run the records - that is something I want to do.”
Neita leads British 1-2 in women's 200m
In the final sprint event of the evening, Daryll Neita edged former world champion and compatriot Dina Asher-Smith for a British 1-2 in the women’s 200 metres.
The first half of the race was a tussle between Asher-Smith and Ivorian athlete Marie-Jose Ta Lou in the middle lanes.
Neita spoiled their party racing from lane seven dipping at the line in a time of 22.50s with Asher-Smith following on her heels in 22.58s for silver. Jaël Bestué captured third place clocking 22.59s.
Larissa Iapichino continues her rise
Italian sensation Larissa Iapichino continues her rise in the global ranks winning her third Diamond League title this season.
Iapichino had the better of Olympic and world champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany winning the contest with a best leap of 6.69 metres. Mihambo secured the silver medal with a season’s best of 6.66m. Ivana Vuleta of Serbia finished third with 6.58m.
“It was difficult today because I have never competed in such bad weather. It was an experience,” said Iapichino. I thought that my competition would be really bad but in the end, I am glad I managed some decent jumps.”
Amusan is back on top
World champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan showed her class to win the 100m hurdles in a time of 12.52 seconds despite the wet conditions on the track. Amusan had Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska breathing down her neck but pulled away to win comfortably.
Ireland’s Sarah Lavin finished strong to clock a personal best of 12.73s with Skrzyszowska settling for third in 12.78s.
“I am excited to be out here competing and it is great to get the win on the back of Lausanne (silver),” Amusan said.
“The rain stopped but it was still very cold. I am not very happy with where I am but I trust in the process even when it is not necessarily processing right.”
Beatrice Chebet and Freweyni Hailu strike gold
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet produced a season’s best of 14:36.52 to dominate the women’s 5,000m in only her second race over the distance this year.
Chebet finished well ahead of Ethiopians Lemlem Hailu (14:38.06) and Medina Eisa (14:40.02) in second and third place, respectively.
"I was the only Kenyan in the race and you know, the Ethiopians are strong and help each other so I had to fight for this win," Chebet said.
"The first thing was to get the win today and the second was to fight with these conditions. Yes, the weather was not really good but you need to run in any conditions. It was not easy to finish the race."
In the women’s 1500m, Freweyni Hailu led an Ethiopian 1-2-3 winning the middle-distance event in a time of 4:02.31. She shared the podium with compatriots Diribe Welteji and Hirut Meshesha. Olympic silver medallist, Laura Muir had to be content with sixth place with a time of 4:03.83.
Sandra Perkovic lands discus throw gold
Perennial Diamond League winner and double Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic added another title to her name winning the women’s discus throw with a best heave of 64.49 metres. Perkovic now has the full set of medals in this year's Diamond League series after finishing second in Paris and third in Oslo.
Dutch ace Jorinde Van Klinken (62.96m), has to settle for second place after topping the podium in Oslo with Germany’s Kristin Pudenz bagging bronze with 62.33m.
South African flavour to track openers
Double gold for South Africa in the two opening track events with world and Olympic finalist Akani Simbine winning the 100m race in a time of 10.03 seconds.
Simbine backed into the blocks on a wet Stockholm as the man to beat after Canadian 200m Olympic champion Andre de Grasse was a last-minute withdrawal. Great Britain’s Reece Prescod followed in second place in 10.14s with Germany’s Joshua Hartmann finishing third in 10.23s.
Simbine has been one of the form sprinters this season winning two of this year’s Diamond League 100m races.
"It seems like a good season. Towards the world championships, I am satisfied with the results and the training so far. I just wanted the win here and I got it so glad at the moment and let´s go building up on it," Simbine said.
"In such conditions, I think the time was fast. If the conditions are ideal, it means it could be a very very fast time - somewhere around my PB but we leave that for the world championships."
Fellow South African Zakhiti Nene opened the track action with a win in the men’s 400 metres adding to the silver medal from the Oslo Diamond League meeting. Nene crossed the line in a time of 45.30 seconds edging out Nigeria’s Emmanuel Bamidele (45.48s). European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith rounded out the podium in third place with 45.57s.
Nene represented his nation well in the absence of world record holder and compatriot Wayde van Niekerk, who pulled out on the eve of the meeting.
2023 Stockholm Diamond League full schedule
2 July 2023 (Diamond leagues events are marked in bold)
All times local in CET (GMT+2)
17:14 - Women Discss Throw
17:25 - Men High Jump
17:27 - Men Pole Vault
17:31 – Men 3000m
17:48 - Women 800
18:04 - Men 400m
18:14 - Men 100m
18:21 - Women 1500m
18:30 - Women Long Jump
18:36 - Women 5000m
18:55 - Men Discuss Throw
19:02 - Women 100 hurdles
19:12 - Men 3000m steeplechase
19:31 - Men's 400m hurdles
19:42 - Women 200m
19:52 - Men 800m