Wind thwarts Duplantis record

The Spaniards Fontes, Ben and Guerrero beat their personal marks and are already thinking of Tokyo.

Another day to be. Armand DuplantisIn his statements the day before, he had expressed his confidence in breaking his own pole vault world record (6.18). It was an auspicious day. After passing through Oslo, athletics, without leaving Scandinavia, met with himself at the Stockholm Olympic stadium, in the fifth stage of the competition. Diamond League. And there, in the capital of his country and among his compatriots, was Armand Duplantis.

In imperial solitude, untouchable, far superior, as in his time Sergei Bubka, to all his fellow modalities, for Duplantis rising above six meters is a routine. And try to break the world record, a habit. This time he stayed at 6.02, which he cleared the first time. And asked 6.19. The record.

He probably would have succeeded if the wind, which was blowing in gusts and sideways, had not become his enemy. He was not annoying enough to prevent “Mondo”, and only he, from exceeding twenty feet, but he was to veto his primacy. After duplantis, near but far, fighting the wind and the ribbon, Sam Kendricks Y Renaud Lavillenie, both with 5.92.

The recent women’s and men’s records in the 400-meter hurdles make it difficult for this event to arouse enthusiasm. But programmed in Stockholm for them and them, it was magnificent. The dutch Femke Bol, a white and European alternative, won with 52.37, the second best world record of the year after, naturally, the record of Sydney McLaughlin (51.90).

Those numbers make her the fourth fastest woman in history. Two other women fell below 53 seconds, the great frontier: the American Shamier Little (52.39) and the Ukrainian Anna Ryzhikova (52.96). Bad luck for Little, fourth in the trials with 53.85. Not being in Tokyo. The Brazilian Alison dos Santos, in the men’s race, shone with a 47.34, an area record, for South America.

The high jump and the women’s 800 also polished the rally. In the first of the tests, the still teenager (19 years) Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh rose to 2.03. And another record of area, of Oceana, for the Australian Nicola McDermott (2.01). In the second, the Cuban Rose Mary Almanza, who runs somewhat washed out but very fast, won with 1: 56.28 the Jamaican Natoya Goule (1:56.44).

Although leader of the year in the 1,500 with 3: 30.48, Timothy Cheruiyot not travel to Tokyo because it was fourth in the trials from Kenya. His victory in Stockholm (3: 32.30) did not console him. But Ignacio Fontes, I know going to Japan, I will be more than happy. He was second with 3: 33.27, a personal best. Even running too many meters outside, he left behind people with much better records and international pedigree like Kwemoi, Musagala, Birgen …

It was a grateful afternoon for the Spaniards. Adrin Ben finished fourth and also with a personal best (1: 44.18) in about 800 wins per Ferguson Rotich (1: 43.84). In the same women’s event, same position and same personal best for Esther Guerrero placeholder image (4:02.41).