Olympic stars continue to sparkle at Diamond League meet

CHORZ, Poland — Armand Duplantis and Jakob Ingebrigtsen thrilled spectators as they set new world records at the Silesia Diamond League meet on Sunday.

Duplantis celebrated in his usual exuberant style as he set a new mark of 6.26 meters in the pole vault, less than three weeks after he last broke it when defending his Olympic title in Paris.

The 24-year-old Swede was congratulated by Polish President Andrzej Duda, who came onto the track and shook his hand.

"Everything just came together to allow me to do this," said Duplantis, whose first world record also came in Poland in February 2020.

"I know a lot of people came here to see me jump, so I wanted to put on a good show for them.

"This year I focused on the Olympics, the record just came naturally because I was in good shape.

"So, I am not surprised with the record today, but I am thankful."

In the 3,000 meters, Ingebrigtsen, who lost his 1,500m Olympic crown but won the 5,000m title, held his hands to his face in astonishment, then on top of his head, mouth agape, after posting a time of 7 min, 17.55 sec.

The 23-year-old Norwegian smashed Kenyan Daniel Komen's 28-year-old mark by more than three seconds.

"It feels special, amazing," said Ingebrigtsen.

"I was hoping to challenge the world record here, but based on my training, I can never predict exactly what kind of time I am capable of.

"I would not have imagined I could run 7:17, though."

Kenya's Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi had entertained hopes of breaking compatriot David Rudisha's 800m world record of 1:40.91, set when he won Olympic gold in London in 2012.

However, Wanyonyi's thunder was stolen by his great rival over the distance, Canada's world champion Marco Arop, who looked on course to set the record himself until tying up in the final few meters.

Wanyonyi clocked 1:41.11.

Arop, who took silver behind Wanyonyi in Paris earlier this month, finished in 1:41.86.

Expectations had been high for Wanyonyi after he went within 0.20 seconds of Rudisha's mark in Lausanne last Thursday.

Nevertheless, he sounded less than enamored at the hype that had surrounded him potentially breaking the record.

"My body did not respond well, but I have done my best," he said.

"I do not like when people say that I am going to break the world record.

"I do not want to say anything about the record."

Femke Bol and Karsten Warholm both set meet records in the women's and men's 400m hurdles, respectively, showing they had shrugged off the disappointment of failing to win the Olympic titles in Paris.

Dutch star Bol had cried after she failed to mount a challenge to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in Paris, finishing third, but, with the American absent, won her second Diamond League race inside a week, timing 52.13.

Warholm had to get over his Olympic disappointment at being dethroned as champion by American Rai Benjamin, and the Norwegian did so in the best way possible, posting a time of 46.95.

"I wanted to run this race well before the Diamond League final (in Brussels on Sept 13-14), so it feels nice to come out and to see the momentum after the Olympics," said Warholm.

AFP