‘Sold out’. All the paper sold, 50,000 fans in the stands to enjoy the tenth round of the 2023 Diamond League in London, the last one before the World Cups in Budapest (August 19-27). And surely none of them regretted paying between 25 and 240 euros for adult tickets and which allowed them to see live, for example, the third best mark of all time (and European record) of 400 hurdles in the women’s category achieved by Femke Bol, the 23-year-old Dutch prodigy who stopped the clock in 51.45 (77 hundredths worse than the stratospheric 50.68 of the North American McLaughlin in Eugene 2022, which also has a 51.41).
Another shining star Ryan Crouser, also exhibited victory in weight with a brilliant series crowned with a shot of 23.07 (ninth of all time). He Portland giant threw four times at 22.60 or higher (22.60, 22.63, 22.65, and 22.66), something that had only been done 54 times so far in history, and one over 23, a milestone only achieved eleven times before and by four men. Many more achieved minimum for the planetary appointment of Hungary in the 1,500 that the American Yared Nuguse took (3:30.44) with Adel Mechaal 7th (3:31.47) and Mario GarcÃa Romo 11th (3:31.68).
The duel of the women’s 5,000 was taken by the Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay (14:12.59) with Sifan Hassan third (14:13.42, European record). Grant Holloway also confirmed his favorite category by winning 110 hurdles with 13.01; like his compatriot Noah Lyles in the 200 (fantastic 19.47, 10th best all-time) despite the final push of the talented Botswana Letsile Tebogo (19.50), the so-called ‘heir to Bolt’. More relevant victories in the English capital were those of the American Juvaughn Harrison in height (2.35), of the Ivorian Marie-Josée Ta Lou in the 100 (10.75), of the South African Van Niekerk in 400 (44.36), or of the Swede Stahl in discus (67.03) finishing with eight consecutive victories in Diamond for the Slovenian Ceh. For its part, the third Spanish woman present in London was Irene Sánchez-Escribano who was 9th in the 3,000 hurdles with 9:33.64 in the victory of the young Kenyan Jackline Chepkoech (19 years old) with 8:57.36, best mark of the year.