2016 IAAF Diamond League: LondonJul 23, 2016 by Meg Bellino
London Diamond League Day 2 Full Recap
London Diamond League Day 2 Full Recap
The final day of competition at the London Anniversary Games was highlighted by one of the UK's most famous athletes, Mo Farah. Farah ran a new world leadin
The final day of competition at the London Anniversary Games was highlighted by one of the UK's most famous athletes, Mo Farah. Farah ran a new world leading time of 12:59.29--with a solo effort over the final kilometer--in the 5K in his final quest before his attempt to defend his Olympic 10K and 5K titles in Rio.
London Full Results
Post Race Interviews
Mo Farah Establishes New 5K World Lead Just Weeks Before Rio Games
Farah beat the next finisher, fellow Great Britain Olympian Andy Butchart, by 15 seconds. He was in good company through 3K, however, with Kenyans Isiah Koech and Edwin Soi tucking in behind the reigning Olympic champ and hitting 3K in 7:52.72.
It was after pacemaker Vincent Rono stepped off the track that Farah ramped up the pace and dropped Koech and Soi. Farah hit 4K at 10:29 and 12:02 with one lap to go. He closed in 56.95 with no competition to push him, a good sign that he's fit and ready for Rio. In fact, Farah joked with FloTrack after the race that he ran fast "for Ryan Hill."
Butchart closed hard in 13:14.85, just off his 13:13 season best. Five-time Olympian Bernard Lagat finished third in 13:14.96, his fastest time since 2014 and a REALLY good sign for Team USA heading into Rio. Lagat, 41, made his fifth Olympic team in the 5K after dropping out of the 10K race at Hayward Field.
Fellow Americans Ryan Hill (13:15.59, season best) and Ben True (13:16.63) finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Eric Jenkins ran a 13:24 season best to finish 11th.
Dafne Schippers Is Nearly Perfect in 2016
Dafne Schippers won the 200m in 22.13, a full half second ahead of American Tiffany Townsend. She has quite a few wins under her belt in 2016 and maintains her world leading status with her 21.93 in Oslo. She blew away her competition today, but has suffered losses this season to Americans English Gardner (100m in Birmingham) and Tori Bowie (200m in Eugene, 100m in Doha).
With Allyson Felix out of the 200m and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce not looking great (She finished third today in the 100m) it's two less bodies for the nearly-perfect Schippers to have to worry about. However Bowie and Gardner will be a force heading into Rio, and it's likely we'll see two of the fastest 100m and 200m races in history with Schippers and the Americans aiming for their first Olympic golds.
Molly Ludlow Ends European Season with 6 Sub-2:00 Marks
Ludlow finished third today in 1:59.56 behind Great Britain's Shelayna Oskan-Clarke and Lynsey Sharp. The Olympic trials fourth-place finisher led the entire race until getting nipped at the line, but reflected on her consistency (6 sub-2:00 performances so far in 2016) with FloTrack after the race:
Kerron Clement Runs World #2, Aiming for Gold in Rio
400m hurdler Kerron Clement won today in 48.40, the second-fastest time in the world in 2016. The Olympic Trials champion told FloTrack that after winning the U.S. title, he is now going to Rio with the focus on the gold medal. He was twice the world champion in 2007 and 2009 and earned the Olympic silver in 2008.
Clement is also a world class 400m athlete (He still holds the indoor World record of 44.57 set in 2005) and was named to the relay pool for the Games. He hopes Team USA will consider him for the 4x400m relay.
More to come...
London Full Results
Post Race Interviews
Mo Farah Establishes New 5K World Lead Just Weeks Before Rio Games
Farah beat the next finisher, fellow Great Britain Olympian Andy Butchart, by 15 seconds. He was in good company through 3K, however, with Kenyans Isiah Koech and Edwin Soi tucking in behind the reigning Olympic champ and hitting 3K in 7:52.72.
It was after pacemaker Vincent Rono stepped off the track that Farah ramped up the pace and dropped Koech and Soi. Farah hit 4K at 10:29 and 12:02 with one lap to go. He closed in 56.95 with no competition to push him, a good sign that he's fit and ready for Rio. In fact, Farah joked with FloTrack after the race that he ran fast "for Ryan Hill."
Butchart closed hard in 13:14.85, just off his 13:13 season best. Five-time Olympian Bernard Lagat finished third in 13:14.96, his fastest time since 2014 and a REALLY good sign for Team USA heading into Rio. Lagat, 41, made his fifth Olympic team in the 5K after dropping out of the 10K race at Hayward Field.
Fellow Americans Ryan Hill (13:15.59, season best) and Ben True (13:16.63) finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Eric Jenkins ran a 13:24 season best to finish 11th.
Dafne Schippers Is Nearly Perfect in 2016
Dafne Schippers won the 200m in 22.13, a full half second ahead of American Tiffany Townsend. She has quite a few wins under her belt in 2016 and maintains her world leading status with her 21.93 in Oslo. She blew away her competition today, but has suffered losses this season to Americans English Gardner (100m in Birmingham) and Tori Bowie (200m in Eugene, 100m in Doha).
With Allyson Felix out of the 200m and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce not looking great (She finished third today in the 100m) it's two less bodies for the nearly-perfect Schippers to have to worry about. However Bowie and Gardner will be a force heading into Rio, and it's likely we'll see two of the fastest 100m and 200m races in history with Schippers and the Americans aiming for their first Olympic golds.
Molly Ludlow Ends European Season with 6 Sub-2:00 Marks
Ludlow finished third today in 1:59.56 behind Great Britain's Shelayna Oskan-Clarke and Lynsey Sharp. The Olympic trials fourth-place finisher led the entire race until getting nipped at the line, but reflected on her consistency (6 sub-2:00 performances so far in 2016) with FloTrack after the race:
Kerron Clement Runs World #2, Aiming for Gold in Rio
400m hurdler Kerron Clement won today in 48.40, the second-fastest time in the world in 2016. The Olympic Trials champion told FloTrack that after winning the U.S. title, he is now going to Rio with the focus on the gold medal. He was twice the world champion in 2007 and 2009 and earned the Olympic silver in 2008.
Clement is also a world class 400m athlete (He still holds the indoor World record of 44.57 set in 2005) and was named to the relay pool for the Games. He hopes Team USA will consider him for the 4x400m relay.
More to come...