Monster Long Jump Almost Takes Echevarria Out Of Pit In Stockholm

Monster Long Jump Almost Takes Echevarria Out Of Pit In Stockholm

At the second Diamond League meeting this week in Stockholm, four new world leads emerged.

Jun 10, 2018 by Jennifer Zahn
Monster Long Jump Almost Takes Echevarria Out Of Pit In Stockholm

At this week's second Diamond League meeting, four new world leads emerged in Stockholm as athletes who competed in Oslo journeyed eastward and others on the circuit chased down bids for the Diamond League final. Check out the highlights below.

MONSTER Long Jump Leads To Best All-Conditions Mark In 23 Years

A combination of superb jumping and a +2.1 wind aided Juan Miguel Echevarria to an absolutely monstrous 8.83-meter/28.96-foot result—the best all-conditions mark in 23 years. 

Watch the Cuban's downright dirty jump, which almost took him out of the pit:


Crowd Erupts As Hometown Favorite Mondo Duplantis Wins Pole Vault

Sweden's U20 world-record holder Armand (Mondo) Duplantis threw down his first career Diamond League by skying a clearance of 5.86m. That mark put him well ahead of last year's Diamond League champion, American Sam Kendricks, who finished runner-up with 5.81m.

Duplantis owns a 5.93m PR, which he set in May to reset his own world junior record. 

PlaceName Result
1Armand Duplantis5.86m
2Sam Kendricks5.81m
3Piotr Lisek5.76m



Fedrick Dacres Goes HAM In The Discus, Produces WL

On his second throw, Jamaican Fedrick Dacres unleashed a whopper. His 69.67m toss was good for a personal best, a meet record, a Jamaican national record, and a world lead. 

Although Andrius Gudzius made a valiant effort to best him in the same round, the Lithuanian's 69.59-meter PR only earned him runner-up honors. 

PlaceName Result
1Fedrick Dacres69.67m
2Andrius Gudzius69.59m
3Ehsan Hadadi67.68m



Brianna McNeal Continues To Relish Return To Competition With 12.38 WL

After being unable to compete during the entire 2017 season due to suspension, reigning Olympic champion Brianna McNeal stormed to a new world lead in the 100m hurdles in 12.38—putting her just ahead of Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico's 12.40. 

Americans Christina Manning and Dawn Harper-Nelson, who's racing for the last time this season before retiring, finished fifth in 12.75 and sixth in 12.80 (both season's bests), respectively. 

McNeal's top competition, world record-holder Keni Harrison, hasn't raced since May in Shangai, where she ran 12.56, and neither has Sharika Nelvis, who sits just ahead of Harrison on the 2018 world descending-order list with the 12.52 she ran in Shanghai. 

It'll be interesting to see where these three stack up at the end of the season. 

Place Name Result
1Brianna McNeal12.38
2Danielle Williams12.48
3Alina Talay12.55



Laura Muir Closes Like A Bat Out Of Hell, But So Does Gudaf Tsegay

In a race that saw two women go sub-four, Gudaf Tsegay peeled away from the pack early as the only athlete to earnestly chase the pacers and didn't look back as she stamped a new personal best on her resume and reset the meet record in 3:57.64. 

Great Britain's Laura Muir showed off supreme finishing speed to earn runner-up honors in 3:58.53—a season's best. 

Jenny Simpson, who hung back and attempted to kick her way to a top spot, mistimed her effort and landed in fourth as Rababe Arafi nipped her at the line, 4:00.28 to 4:00.34. 

Place Name Result
1Gudaf Tsegay3:57.64
2Laura Muir3:58.53
3Rababe Arafi4:00.28



Karsten Warholm Sets National Record, But Still Can't Catch Abderrahman Samba 

After the last Diamond League meeting, I wrote that it would've taken a Norwegian record and a personal best for Karsten Warholm to defeat Abderrahman Samba in Oslo. 

This time, not even that caliber of effort downed the Qatari, as Warholm did run a personal best and reset his national record in 47.81. Samba finished ahead in 47.41 to claim a new Diamond League record, personal best, and meet record. 

Although he no longer holds the world lead thanks to Rai Benjamin's face-melting 47.02 (watch that here) at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, Samba clearly is a gamer, and I'd love to see those two match up since Benjamin ran unchallenged in the collegiate ranks this year. 

PlaceNameResult
1Samba Abderrahman47.41
2Karsten Warholm47.81
3Yasmani Copello 48.91



Salwa Eid Naser Bests Five Americans With Lone Sub-50 Result

The Bahrainian topped her 48.88 PR from last September with a 48.84 en route to taking down the likes of reigning world champion Phyllis Francis (second, 50.07), Jessica Beard (third, 50.55), Shamier Little (fourth, 50.82), Jaide Stepter (fifth, 50.99), and Courtney Okolo (sixth, 51.28). Naser's time was good enough to set a new Bahrainian national record. 

PlaceNameResult
1Salwa Eid Naser49.84
2Phyllis Francis50.07
3Jessica Beard50.55



Selemon Barega Claims New World Lead With Gritty 5000m Finish

In a wild dash down the homestretch, the 2018 world indoor silver medalist in the 3000m won just ahead of Birhanu Balew, 13:04.05 to 13:04.25, to put his name at the top of the world descending-order list for the year. Barega owns an impressive PR of 12:55.58 in this event, and at just 18 years old, will likely be a dominant force on the international scene for years to come.

American Ben True finished fifth in 13:16.48—far from his 13:02.74 PR from 2014.

PlaceName Result
1Selemon Barega 13:04.05
2Birhanu Balew13:04.25
3Abadi Hadis13:06.76