Jackson Runs Fourth Fastest 200m of All Time, Duplantis Over 6m10, Bol Also Spoils the Crowd

At the King Baudouin Stadium, more than 37,000 spectators watched Shericka Jackson's 200 metres with bated breath. At the international press conference on the eve of the meeting, the Jamaican made no secret of her dream of setting the World Record, the record is 21.34 and has been held by Florence Griffith since 1988. Jackson came very close in Brussels but stranded at 21.48. A formidable time, the fourth fastest of all time, after Griffith's WR and her own 21.41, which made her World Champion in Budapest a few weeks ago and the 21.45 that gave her the world title in Eugene last year.. 21.48 is also a new Wanda Diamond League Record and a new Meeting Record. The previous MR was run 32 years ago by Merlene Ottey: 21.64.
 
With Mondo Duplantis, a World Record is also always in the air. The World and Olympic Pole Vault Champion secured the win in Brussels with a jump over 6m02. Then, the bar was raised to 6m10, 5 cm above his own Meeting Record of 2021. He vaulted that 6m10 easily at the first attempt. The audience got what it was waiting for: a World Record attempt at 6m23. On the third and final try, it looked like it would happen, but unfortunately the bar tumbled down. Second place went to American Sam Kendricks with 5m92, third - with also 5m92 - to Filipino Ernest John Obiena.
 
Femke Bol held back at the start of her race in the 400-metre hurdles, but in the second half of the race she unleashed her well-known blistering acceleration. No one could match the Dutchwoman. Bol triumphed in 52.11, a big improvement on the Meeting Record set 25 years ago by Nezha Bidouane at 53.43. A long way behind Bol, places 2 and 3 went to Jamaica with Janieve Russell (53.80) and Rushell Clayton (54.10). "This was my first time at the Memorial, and I enjoyed it so much," Bol commented after the race. "The crowd was great. So loud. It was like I was running a meeting in front of a home crowd."
 
World Best Performance in javelin throw, Belgian win in 400 metres
 
In the javelin throw, World Champion Haruka Kitaguchi waited until her last throw to pull out all the stops. The Japanese threw the javelin 67 metres and 38 centimetres. Good for a new Japanese record and a World Best Performance. Second place went to Austria's Victoria Hudson (64m65), while third place went to Latvia's Lina Muse-Sirma (63m00).
 
Cynthia Bolingo secured a Belgian victory in the 400m. The number 5 of the World Championships had a lot of track to catch up with Lieke Klaver in the last straight. In a last-ditch effort, she overtook the Dutchwoman just before the finish line. 50.09 for Bolingo, 50.16 for Klaver. In the Men’s race, Jamaican Rusheen McDonald was the best in the track lap in 44.84.
 
Sprint Victories for Thompson-Herah and Bednarek
 
Another Jamaican celebration in the Women’s 100 metres - it wasn't 'Jamaican hot' in Brussels for nothing. Elaine Thompson-Herah, double Olympic Champion in the 100 and 200 metres, triumphed with her season's best of 10.84. Her compatriot Natasha Morrison raced to second place in 10.95, also a season's best for her. Britain's Dina Asher-Smith was third in 10.97.
 
The Men's 200 metres turned into an exciting duel between American Kenneth Bednarek and Briton Zharnel Hughes. Tokyo’s Vice-Olympic Champion narrowly made it in 19.79 versus 19.82 for the reigning European Champion. Third place went to Canadian Andre De Grasse in 19.89.
 
Mahuchikh remains Queen of the High Jump
 
Like last year, Yaroslava Mahuchikh was the queen of the high jump in Brussels. A jump over 2m00 was enough to secure victory for the brand-new World Champion from Ukraine, who has been based in Belgium since the war in her country. Serbian Angelina Topic was second with 1m97, Australian Eleanor Patterson third with 1m94.
 
The Women's 5000 metres was won by Kenya’s Lilian Kasait Rengeruk in 14:26.46. Britain's Laura Muir was the best in the 1500 metres with a time of 3:55.34 and the Men's 800 metres turned into a triumph for Algerian Djamel Sedjati (1:43.60). Jamaica's Shanieka Ricketts triumphed in the triple jump with 15m01.
 
The long jump was not a WDL event at the Memorial on Friday night, but World Champion Ivana Vuleta did compete. The Serbian did not disappoint and won thanks to two jumps of 6m74. Dutch Paralympic World Champion Fleur Jong also jumped 6m74, but her second best jump was not as far. As a result, the win went to Vuleta. Jong's jump was a new Paralympic World Record though.
 
The Men's 10,000 metres was also not a WDL event but did produce a handsome win. The race was won by Vice-World Champion Daniel Ebenyo. The Kenyan clocked 26:57.80, improving his personal record by over 13 seconds.
 
Also Relay Meeting Record
 
Early in the evening, there was a duel of the Low Countries in the Men's 4x100 metres. The Belgian team - consisting of Kobe Vleminckx, Ward Merckx, Antoine Snyders and Valentijn Hoornaert - narrowly lost to the Dutch quartet: 38.77 versus 38.49. The Belgian Falcons' time was only 4 hundredths above the Belgian Record. The Dutch Xavi Mo-Ajok, Taymir Burnet, Hensley Paulina and Raphael Bouju beat the Meeting Record, which had been held by Team USA with 38.65 since 1988.