Home delight as Barshim and Samba pick up dazzling wins
DOHA, May 5, 2018 – Under the patronage and attendance of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the President of Qatar Olympic Committee curtains came down at the opening round of IAAF Diamond League 2018 – Doha at Suhaim bin Hamad stadium of Qatar sport club on Friday.
Local heroes Mutaz Barshim and Abderrahman Samba lit up the Qatar Sports Club stadium with their scintillating performances during the Diamond League season-opening meet in Doha yesterday after Abdalellah Haroun had begun the day for the hosts with an impressive runner-up finish.
With his family in the audience at the packed venue, Barshim, reigning world champion and IAAF Athlete of the Year, had bagged the win at 2.36m after Syria's Majd Eddin Ghazal faulted all his three attempts at the height. Donald Thomas of the Bahamas was third with 2.30m.
However, the 26-year-old made another attempt, at 2.40m, and cleared it on his first attempt to a raucous applause. Even though his efforts at 2.42m, an attempt to break Ivan Ukhov's 2014 meet record of 2.41m, were not successful, it was the sixth straight year that Barshim had cleared 2.40m, extending his record.
“My mother is here, she's cheering for me. I'm really blessed," the two-time Olympic medallist said. “I made some mistakes, but very happy with the result and proud. I feel so great, winning. I was not fit to succeed in all the jumps, but still extremely happy at the end. I wanted to break a record today, but still very ambitious for the rest of the season.
“Being here with so many great Qatari athletes, such as Haroun and Samba, is just amazing. It's a testament to the fact that Qatar really has some great talent." Samba retained the 400m hurdles crown in scintillating fashion bettering his earlier world leading time with a 47.57sec finish, also setting a Diamond League record in the process.
Samba, who had missed out on a 2017 World Championship medal after clipping the last hurdle on the way to the finish in August last year, had come into yesterday's meet in great form on the back of a world leading 47.90 effort in Potchefstroom in South Africa last month.
Yesterday, he beat the rest of the field, that also included the Diamond League champion Kyron McMaster and Olympic champion Kerron Clement, by one and a half seconds. Bershawn Jackson of the US ran a season's best 49.08sec for a runner-up spot, while McMaster ran 49.46sec for his third place finish.
“I've defended my title, YES!" a palpably ecstatic Samba said after the win. “I'm very happy for me and for Qatar. Winning at home is an amazing feeling, especially to break not only my record and the national record, but the Diamond League record as well. I have a feeling this will be a great season for me, and all I want to do is run even faster. The audience was so welcoming and I want to also thank everyone for being here today."
Qatar's first top three finish of the day was 400m world bronze medallist Abdallelah Haroun, who finished behind world silver medallist Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas yesterday. With South African world champion Wayde van Niekerk absent due to a knee injury, it was always going to be a strong race with the reigning Diamond League champion Isaac Makwala also in the mix.
Gardiner ran a meet record of 43.87secs, beating LaShawn Merritt's 2012 time of 44.19, while Haroun finished with 44.50, ahead of Makwala in 44.92. “I'm proud of what I achieved tonight, but before even looking toward the World Record, I'm focusing on the IAAF World Athletics Championship in 2019 right here in Doha," Haroun said after earning seven qualification points for his second place.
There was no stopping South Africa's Caster Semenya who ran a personal best 3:59.92 to win the women's 1500m event. Semenya has been at the centre of a debate stemming from a recent IAAF rule on women's testosterone but brushed any of those distractions by storming to a victory in a world leading time.
“It's always been a dream to set the NR and continue to push beyond my PB, and I think we definitely achieved what we came here for," Semenya said. When she was asked about why she hadn't commented on the IAAF rules to counteract higher levels of testosterone in women, she was quoted as saying by AFP, “I don't talk about nonsense."
Kenya's Nelly Jepkosgei and Ethiopia's Habitam Alemu were second and third in 4:00.99 and 4:01.41 respectively. Two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor had to settle for the second place yet again three years after Cuba's Pablo Pichardo had beaten him in the men's triple jump event.
In the 2015 edition, both the men had jumped 18m plus with Pichardo winning by a margin of 2cm. Yesterday, both their best efforts were in their third attempts, with Pichardo topping the event with 17.95m and Taylor jumping 17.81m. Azerbaijan's Alexis Copello was third with 17.21m.
“I feel wonderful. I'm very surprised by the result, but will take it as a chance to learn from the experience, and the guys I competed against. I'm happy I finished the competition healthy, and will always keep smiling," Taylor, the six-time Diamond League champion, said. “I've trained so hard to break my own record, and the WR as well. I'm going to Shanghai next week, so who knows?".
Sandi Morris of the US carried her winning form from Indoor Worlds in Birmingham earlier this year, to win the first Diamond League meet of the season with 4.84m effort.
Britain's Holly Bradshaw and Katie Nageotte of the US, both jumped 4.64m with the former taking the second place on countback.
Greek pole vault star Katerina Stefanidi, who is also the reigning world, Olympic, European and Diamond League champion, also jumped 4.64m but had to settle for a tied fourth along with compatriot Nikoleta Kiriakopoulou.
There was a German sweep in javelin with Olympic champion Thomas Rohler retaining his Doha crown with 91.78m effort. Compatriot and world champion Johannes Vetter definitely started big with 91.56m on his first attempt, but couldn't improve thereafter to settle for second place.
Andreas Hofmann also cleared 90.08m for his third place, pushing India's 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Neeraj Chopra (87.43m) to fourth.
“Today was great, but it wasn't easy. There's always room for improvement. My teammates and I travel together and train together, which motivates me always. I've been preparing and knew I could throw that far. I was even able to take some risks today, and know that I'm in good physical shape," Rohler said.
Noah Lyles of the US ran a meet record 19.83sec in the men's 200m to win ahead of world bronze medallist Jereem Richards (19.99) and world champion Ramil Guilyev (20.11) of Turkey. Reigning Olympic champion Elaine Thompson had to settle for third in the women's 100m after the 2017 world silver medallist Marie Josee Tao Lou of the Ivory Coast ran a personal best 10.85 for a win. Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor of Nigeria was second in 10.90sec, with 200m world champion Dafne Schippers was sixth.
Earlier in the evening, Croatia's Sandra Perkovic continued her stranglehold on women's discus throw event as the reigning world, Olympic, European and Diamond League champion smashed her own meet record with a 71.38m effort on her third attempt.
Cuba's Yaime Perez was second with 66.82m, while compatriot Denia Caballero's only legal effort of 63.80 placed her third in the competition.
“I was so close to my personal best, I really think Doha Diamond League is my lucky place," Perkovic, who came within 3cm of her personal best yesterday, said.
“The environment here is amazing, and the conditions set me up for the year, with the season just beginning. This is perfect as we look to competing in the European Championships this year, and Doha has made me ready to make my mark there."
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