Alfred goes third in 200m all-time list, Wanyonyi smashes world record

MONACO (Agencies): Julien Alfred and Emmanuel Wanyonyi delivered two masterclasses with outstanding victories in a high-quality Diamond League meeting in Monaco on Friday that brought a raft of records. Wanyonyi arguably produced the performance of a sultry evening at the Stade Louis II, clocking a world’s best in the men’s 1,000m, a non-Olympic event. The world and Olympic 800m champion’s 2:11.83 took 0.13sec off the previous best set by his Kenyan compatriot Noah Ngeny in Rieti, Italy, back in 1999. Wanyonyi turned on the afterburners with 200 metres to run, outpacing Britain’s Jake Wightman down the home straight.  “I want to thank the other athletes for pushing me to my limits,” the ever-modest Wanyonyi said, immediately dismissing any talk of a tilt at the 800m world record set by fellow Kenyan David Rudisha in winning Olympic gold in London in 2012. Alfred produced a devastating final burst through the line to win the 200m in a stunning meet record of 21.51 seconds, bettering her own personal best by 0.20sec. It left St Lucia’s Olympic 100m champion third in the all-time list for the 200m. Only American Florence Griffith Joyner and Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson have gone faster.  “I don’t care about my reaction time, I was first, that’s all that matters,” said Alfred. “I looked at the clock and saw my time and that’s why I was screaming like at the Olympics.”

Reigning Olympic 200m champion Gabrielle Thomas of the US had to be content with third behind Alfred and Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands. Oblique Seville, Jamaica’s current men’s world 100m champion, had no dramas in the blue-riband event, winning in 9.88sec ahead of American Jordan Anthony (9.92). In his first competition on home turf, newly-minted Monaco resident Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis bettered his own meet record to win the pole vault with a best of 6.07m. But there was no shot at a 16th world record, the US-born Swede failing three times at 6.15m. The first of a raft of meet records was set in the women’s 400m by Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino, who produced a tremendous final kick to win in 48.67sec, her third victory of the season. Botswana’s Busang Collen Kebinatshipi backed that up in the men’s one-lap race, clocking a Diamond League record of 43.44sec for an equally impressive win. It left the Botswanan world champion, who celebrated with some press-ups, sixth equal on the all-time list. “I did not expect myself to be fast like this,” said Kebinatshipi.  “We are just playing around and see how fast we can go towards the end of the season.”

His display was bettered moments before by Australia’s Olympic pole vault champion Nina Kennedy. The Australian soared to an Oceania record of 4.95m, missing three attempts at 5.00m, to install herself as joint fifth in the all-time list headed by retired Russian Yelena Isinbayeva (5.06m).  “I genuinely believe that I can jump 5m and I know, if everything aligns, I can do it,” said Kennedy. “I still have a lot of competitions for the rest of the season. It’s my goal. It’s my team’s goal — project 5m is here!” Olympic gold medallist Masai Russell of the US came out tops in a high-quality women’s 100m hurdles, clocking a meet record of 12.20sec to continue her fine form. Agnes Jebet Ngetich upstaged Faith Kipyegon to win the non-Olympic event of the women’s 3,000m, again in a meet record. Ngetich clocked 8:08.55, the third fastest time ever run over the distance, as Kipyegon had to be happy with fourth spot. Not to be outdone, Greece’s two-time Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou sailed out to another meet record, of 8.61m, to win the men’s long jump.