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What We Learned from Diamond League Stockholm

Published by
DyeStatPRO.com   Aug 22nd 2014, 1:47pm
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Felix, Simpson, Tinsley, Hoffa Impress in Sweden

By Scott Bush

After nearly a month off due to the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, the Diamond League returned to action Thursday in Stockholm, Sweden. While a few top Americans looked a little rusty, the majority showed up and put on a show. Here’s what we learned:

It’s been a season of gradual progression for Allyson Felix. Coming off an injury plagued 2013, Felix has slowly and steadily risen back up to the top of the sprint world. Thursday marked another big moment, as she beat a strong field to win the 200m dash in 22.85. Felix bested fellow American Tori Bowie, who continued her fantastic season with a 22.91 runner-up effort. Felix and Bowie are quite the duo for the U.S. and a tandem all track and field fans should get excited about.

Speaking of gradual progression, the same can be said for Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross. In the women’s 400m dash, Jamaican Novlene Williams-Mills won and continued her impressive ways in the event with a 50.09 clocking, but Richards-Ross finally got the best of fellow American Francena McCorory to nab second in 50.27 (McCorory finished third in 50.65). Richards-Ross still has another big jump to make to regain her world dominating form of years past, but another American sprint star is certainly on the rise again.

While the sprinters put on a show in Sweden, Jenny Simpson came up huge against a world-class field in the women’s 1,500m. Simpson grinded down the competition over the final lap to pull off the victory in 4:00.38. Simpson beat runner-up Genzebe Dibaba (ETH) and rival and third-place finisher Sifan Hassan (NED), as well as Abeba Aregawi (SWE), who finished well off the pace. Simpson’s win shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it does once again prove she can beat anyone in the world.

Simpson stole the show in the women’s 1,500m, but do not overlook Shannon Rowbury’s fourth place effort. Rowbury is having a career year since switching to coach Alberto Salazar and a fourth place, 4:02.96 showing, puts her in the right company as the season starts to wind down.

One of the best rivalries this season has been in the men’s 400m hurdles, where Javier Culson (DOM) and Michael Tinsley (USA) have gone back and forth all season for bragging rights as the world’s top long hurdler. While Culson has gotten the best of Tinsley as of late, Tinsley put on a show in Stockholm, running away from Culson over the final 50m of the race to win 49.60-49.84. The two are now neck-and-neck heading into the final competitions of the season. Who will take home the seasonal bragging rights in 2014?

Loaded with top tier talent, the men’s shot put was once again a can’t miss event. Not surprisingly, veteran Reese Hoffa took home top prize with a strong mark of 21.06m. Hoffa was consistent from start to finish and has continued to show throughout the season why he’s the very best in the world. The American easily edged runner-up Tom Walsh (AUS) and David Storl (GER), who finished with bests of 20.79m and 20.77m respectively.

Americans Joe Kovacs and Ryan Whiting threw well for fourth and sixth place finishes of 20.67 and 20.39. Both their performances are encouraging. Kovacs continues to prove himself against the very best in the world and is easily the “most improved thrower” of the year in the men’s shot put, while Whiting gradually gets his groove back after an early season injury knocked him out of much of the Diamond League action this season.

One of the most entertaining events this season, the women’s 100m hurdles, continued to excite Thursday, as American Queen Harrison led a U.S. 1-2-3 sweep. Harrison got off to a great start and never looked back, winning in a rather relaxed 12.66. Nia Ali has arguably her best race of the outdoor season, after winning the indoor World Championship 60m hurdle title early this year, finishing second in 12.96. Rounding out the sweep, Dawn Harper-Nelson placed third in 12.99. The trio goes head-to-head again on Sunday at the Birmingham Diamond League meeting.

Continuing on the women’s 100m hurdles, Sally Pearson (AUS) and Cindy Billaud (FRA) have yet to really show up and put a stop to the American dominance in the event. In Stockholm, Pearson was DQ’d, while Billaud didn’t finish. Ouch!

What else did we learn…

Well, Galen Rupp (USA) probably got a good rust-buster in the men’s 5,000m. Having missed competing for much of the past six weeks, both because of the Diamond League halt and his wife having twins, Rupp finished fourth in 13:05.97. He remained competitive throughout the race, but didn’t have it towards the final laps.

The man who did have it, Hassan Mead (USA), ran his second sub-13:08 effort of the season, finishing sixth in 13:07.81. Mead’s 2014 continues to prove inspirational, as he came up big in Sweden against a very strong field. Hopefully he’ll have one more shot to go after the 13-minute barrier this season before heading home.

Keeping on the distances, Emma Coburn (USA) is awesome, that is all there is to it. She finished third in 9:20.31 Thursday, losing to Hiwot Ayalew (ETH) and Habiba  Ghribi (TUN), but she laid it out there and still held off seasonal rival Sofia Assefa (ETH). Coburn’s collection of top three finishes is so encouraging. Is anyone else wondering what she could run right now over 1,500m or 5,000m?

Wrapping this up…

Tianna Bartoletta (USA) is the best long jumper in the world this season, hands down. The American again proved tops, winning with a best of 6.98m. She nearly broke the seven-meter barrier again, was easily the most consistent jumper in the field on the day and beat an impressive group of competitors. Fellow American Brittney Reese placed fourth in 6.60m and never looked all that comfortable in her runway approach.

With only three more Diamond League meetings to go, including Sunday’s contest in Birmingham, England, the season is quickly coming to an end. Don’t miss out on the action over the final weeks, as the Diamond League standings shake out and world bests are contested. 



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