Soaring Success for Podium Trio | Rabat Diamond League

It was a night for the high-flyers at the Rabat Diamond League as Nina Kennedy and Nicola Olyslagers made their way up and over bars and onto the podium, while Matthew Denny’s discus went farther than ever before as he too stamped his top-three presence.

Just a fortnight after a Covid diagnosis delayed her European season start, Nina Kennedy (Paul Burgess and James Fitzpatrick) has landed herself her first podium finish at a Diamond League.

The 25-year-old powered over the bar at 4.65m on her first attempt, placing second behind 5-metre jumper Sandi Morris (USA) on countback.

Through Kennedy was able to clear 4.65m with ease, the Western Australian made an early decision to retire, with her equal season’s best enough to give her confidence as she makes a strong start to her international campaign.

“I was feeling nervous but also so excited to get back out to competing at back at the Diamond League circuit. I’ve had so many injuries over the last few years and it was so much fun to be out there. I wanted to take every opportunity to soak it in,” Kennedy said.

“Competing after having Covid was a little nerve-wrecking. This comp for me was about seeing how I was feeling on the day and if I needed to pull out and focus just on Worlds, that was going to be okay too.”

“That’s why I retired early, to be safe. I’m only on Day 10 after Covid – I am not at 100% so I and I wanted to come out injury free too.

In placing second, Kennedy defeated Olympic champion Katie Nageotte (no height) and Tokyo bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw (4.55m) showing promise for World Athletics Championships next month and the Commonwealth Games in August.

“I am really happy that I beat some big girls in this comp. It’s giving me confidence going into Worlds. A few more comps and a few more training sessions and we’ll see how I go. The goal is to medal at Worlds,” Kennedy said.

Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers (nee McDermott) (Matt Horsnell) continued to build on her form from last week’s appearance at the Diamond League, clearing 1.93m to place third in the women’s high jump behind Ukrainian quinella Yuroslava Manuchikh (1.96m) and Iryna Gerashchenko (1.93m).

Just one centimetre off her season’s best, the Australian record holder placed third on countback having failed to clear 1.85m on her first attempt.

Although the event also promised to bring fans the long-awaited showdown between Australia’s two best female jumpers, it wasn’t to be with Eleanor Patterson (Alex Stewart) withdrawing from competition just hours before, citing discomfort in her non-takeoff foot.

It took Georgia Griffith (Nic Bideau) four long years to lower her personal best from 4:04.17 to the 4:03.95 she ran in Jessheim on Thursday, but just another three days to carve that time down to 4:00.16 when finishing fourth in Rabat.

Only the Ethiopian trio of Hirut Meshesha, Freweyni Hailu, and Axumawit Embaye could topple the Australian in the see-sawing affair, as a patient Griffith progressed through the field to find herself in contention at the bell before being stretched over the final lap. The result sees the 24-year-old on the doorstep of becoming only the third Australian woman in history to break the elusive four minute barrier over the distance.

“There are some big differences in my training since Tokyo with a key one being that I haven’t had any major injuries this year and have been able to train uninterrupted. It’s such a great feeling to know training is paying off and  am heading in the right direction,” Griffith said.

“It’s such an exciting time for middle distance in Australia at the moment. Especially in the women’s 1500m in particular, which definitely brings the best out of you but also means it’s going to be really tough to make teams this year.”

Fellow Australian Linden Hall (Ned Brophy-Williams) finished in ninth place of the encounter with a new seasons best of 4:03.29 at her first international competition after the Australian domestic season, providing the Olympic finalist with a solid foundation to build on in her upcoming races.

Two-time Olympian Matthew Denny (Ben Thomson) once again relished the big stage in the cage when delivering a stunning 67.07m personal best in the fifth round, propelling himself into the throw-off for the final three competitors as he secured his maiden Diamond League podium.

A foul with his final attempt saw the 26-year-old settle for bronze in Rabat, finishing behind reigning Olympic and world champion Daniel Stahl (Sweden) and the in-form Kristjan Ceh (Slovenia) who last week threw a Diamond League record of 71.27m.

“I’m really happy with today considering we are still in heavy prep mode. I shouldn’t be throwing this far right now so I’m very happy with that and I’m really excited for when my peak does start for World Championships. I’m super happy about finding that extra gear again when it counted,” Denny says.

“Confidence-wise, it’s confirming that I am where I feel I deserve to be and being competitive up against those guys. It’s absolutely where I want to be. My focus is to medal at World Championships, if not win if we get into the right form. We’re at a point where it could be the best discus competition ever.”

Rose Davies (Scott Westcott) set a new personal best of 8:49.86 for seventh place in a turbulent Women’s 3000m, with athletes reluctant to assume responsibility as the pilot once Australian Sarah Billings (Nic Bideau) stepped off the track as the pacemaker.

The 22-year-old lost contact with the contenders through the bell and as Mercy Cherono (Kenya) poured on the pressure en route to victory in a time of 8:40.29, Davies was forced to grind out the final lap with a solo effort.

In other results from the international circuit this weekend, Brooke Buschkhuel (nee Stratton) (Russell Stratton) took the win in the women’s long jump at the BoXX United Manchester Continental Tour, with a 6.44m (+1.9) jump as she builds back to form after a knee reconstruction.

Tokyo Olympian Georgia Winkcup (Ben Liddy) placed sixth in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase at the same meet, crossing the line in 9:49.70.

Bendere Oboya (Justin Rinaldi) also continued her learning curve in the women’s 800m at the Memorial Irenzy Szewińskiej in, Poland, placing fifth in 2:02.26.

Five Australians also featured at the Music Box meet in Nashville, with Max Stevens (Adam Didyk) leading the charge for the Team Tempo trio with a 8:31.77 finish in the men’s 3000m Steeplechase. Caitlin Adams (Adam Didyk) ran a comfortable 15:30.87 to cross the line in second place in the women’s 5000m.

World Athletics Indoor Championships representative Jack Anstey placed fourth in the men’s 1500m final, clocking 3:38.01, while Tasmanian Sam Field (Florida State) ran 3:42.92 to finish second in the B-race, with Isaac Heyne (Adam Didyk) placing fifth in 3:44.11. Maudie Skyring (Florida State) also capped off an impressive season with a shiny new best of 4:08.15 to finish in seventh place.

By Sascha Ryner and Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 5/6/2022