Ben Broeders wins DL meeting in Paris, Nafi Thiam is “super satisfied” after the high jump | Diamond League

Pole vaulter Ben Broeders has a taste for it. Last weekend he sharpened his BR with a jump over 5.85m.

A few days ago he had a slightly lesser day in Oslo, but Broeders was back on track in the baking oven in Paris.

Our compatriot went over 5.50m, 5.65m (2 attempts), 5.75m and 5.80m. At 5.85m he recorded 3 clear jumps.

Renaud Lavillenie also went over 5.80m, but the old man needed two tries.

Broeders thus wins a Diamond League meeting for the first time. Only three Belgians preceded Broeders: Kevin Borlée, Philip Milanov and Nafi Thiam.

Broeders is now second in the Diamond League standings, behind world record parent Mondo Duplantis. It was missing in Paris.

“The heat was intense and grueling. But there was enough pause between the jumps, so that I could recuperate well”, Ben Broeders started the account of his evening in Paris.

“At 5.80m I went over it very smoothly, then the barrel was finished. It was a matter of waiting in suspense because Renaud Lavillenie still had a turn at the end, but all’s well that ends well.”

The Leuven resident is only the fourth Belgian to win a Diamond League meeting. “Paris wasn’t really on my schedule and I didn’t think it was an easy decision to come, but I felt it might be the chance of my career to win a Diamond League,” said Broeders, who didn’t have to compete. fear of the absent world record holder Mondo Duplantis.

The win in Paris is a boost in view of Eugene. “That gives me confidence for the World Cup, where I would like to jump 5.90m.”

“This race is yet another confirmation that I’m doing a good job. Now I can’t change too much. There is no reason to assume that I won’t be competing for the prizes in Eugene.”

Nafi Thiam is systematically increasing the pressure on her body towards the World Cup and European Championship next summer.

After a few sprint numbers and the long jump of the past few weeks, a new test followed tonight with the high jump.

Thiam (PR: 2.02m) usually performs excellent in the high jump in the heptathlon, in Paris 1.95m was too much.

1.75m, 1.80m and 1.84m went without any problems, at 1.88m a re-exam was required.

1.92m was clear again, but at 1.95m the bar fell 3 times.

Thiam thus finished the competition in 7th place, but 1.92m – an equal to her season best last year at the Games and in September at the Memorial – can be considered a boost.

The victory was for the Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchich with a best world year performance: 2.01m for the bronze medal from Tokyo.

“I am very satisfied,” said Nafi Thiam afterwards. “That I immediately go so high after all those back problems is really great.”

“After that injury, I only did three high jump training sessions, one with a full run-up on Tuesday, and it was catastrophic. This gives me a lot of confidence. If you know how little I have been able to train, I should definitely be able to go higher at the World Cup in July. And hopefully already in Liège.”

On her home track, Thiam will complete both the 100m hurdles and the high jump on June 29. First, the Belgian Championship in Gentbrugge is scheduled for next weekend. “I choose the long jump and the hurdles,” she said.

The double Olympic champion has now completed four of her six preparation matches for the World Cup.

“I’m on the right track. It’s because of these kinds of matches that my confidence increases. I try to think less about that back injury.”

In Paris, Thiam missed the limit for the European Championship in Munich in August, where she may want to jump high. 1m95 is required for this.

“I didn’t even know that was the limit,” she said. “Just to say: my focus is completely on the World Cup in Eugene.”

In the 400 meters Kevin Borlée was in 7th place at 46″64, one and a half seconds above his 45″12 that he clocked in Bern on Tuesday. In the 5,000 meters, Isaac Kimeli finished in the rear.

In the women’s competition, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce equaled her best world year performance with 10’67. The nine-time world champion is 35 years old, but is not yet worn out at all.