Top 8 for Marschall as world records tumble in Poland | Silesia Diamond League
Published Sun 25 Aug 2024
Australia’s best were in the mix at the record breaking Silesia Diamond League with Kurtis Marschall leading the way for the Australian contingent at Stadion Śląski. Marschall collected another top eight Diamond League finish while Australia’s middle-distance runners battled the world’s best in Poland.
It was another world record breaking Men’s Pole Vault competition for Marschall (Paul Burgess and James Fitzpatrick) as he looked to return to the Diamond League podium. With more than 42,000 spectators cheering on, Marschall looked promising with an opening round clearance of 5.62m, before a clutch third round jump at 5.72m kept him in the competition.
Some blistering on his hands derailed Marschall’s campaign to return to the podium and forced the Australian jumper to retire after an attempt at 5.82m to finish 7th.
“We knew today was going to be fantastic conditions to go big. The track is quick, and the Pole Vault set up specifically was great. And you saw that with three 6m clearances,” said Marschall.
“I was feeling good going into it. Recovered well after Lausanne. But unfortunately, due to a lot of things I wasn’t able to put it together tonight.”
“My hands developed a few blisters from holding the pole during the competition. But it was still electric to be out there with the boys and witness Mondo’s new world record.”
Armand Duplantis (SWE) thrilled the crowds with another world record as all three Paris Olympic medallists cleared 6.00m. Duplantis improved his own world record by 1cm on his second attempt to push the bar up to 6.26m and closed out the three-hour competition. While Olympic medallists’ Sam Kendrick (USA) and Emmanouil Karalis (GRE) both cleared 6.00m to claim second and third respectively on countback .
Australian middle distance duo Sarah Billings and Linden Hall battled it out in a tactical Women’s 1500m race. Despite fast track conditions the race played out like a final with a flash home for positions over time. Billings fell just short of a personal best to cross in 4:00.41 in 9th , while Hall (4:02.35) struggled over the closing 200m to finish 12th.
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (3:57.08) and Freweyni Hailu (3:57.88) collected first and second respectively, with Paris bronze medallist Georgia Bell (GBR) rounding out the top three in 3:58.11.
Stewart McSweyn (Nic Bideau) joined an impressive field of Paris Olympians in the world record breaking Men’s 3000m. In a race dominated from start to finish by Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR), McSweyn was unable to make an impact on the impressive field and crossed the line in 7:40.24 to finish 13th.
Ingebrigtsen delivered one of the track performances of the year with an incredible run to beak Daniel Komen’s 28-year-old 3000m world record by more than three seconds. The 5000m Olympic Champion crossed in 7:17.55, with Ethiopian duo Berihu Aregawi (7:21.28) and Yomif Kejelcha (7:28.44) crossing the line in second and third.
The Diamond League series continues on Saturday morning AEST in Rome, Italy with Olympic Champion Nina Kennedy returning to the Pole Vault runway for the first time since claiming gold in Paris. While Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny will step into the throwers circle for the Men’s Discus, as Hall returns for another hit out in the 1500m and Olympian Morgan McDonald lines up in the Men’s 5000m.
By David Smith, Athletics Australia
Posted 26 August 2024
