Here are some of the highlight's from tonight's Diamond League finale in Brussels:

Women’s 200m - Schippers Takes Down Felix In Rio Preview; Felix Takes Diamond Race

 

If you didn’t think the Netherlands’ Dafne Schippers was the real deal after her 21.63 stunner in Beijing, her take down of American Allyson Felix in Brussels surely did the trick. With bragging rights on the line heading into next summer’s Olympic Games in Rio, Schippers zoomed past the reigning Olympic champion Felix in the last 50m, showing that she, not Felix, is the woman to watch in Brasil.

 

This race between Felix and Schippers took on extra meaning tonight since the American chose the 400m at Worlds, so this was the first race between the two after Schippers became the 3rd fastest woman in 200m history on August 28th. With Felix stating that she will return to this event in 2016, tonight’s race was touted as a preview for what’s to come next season.

 

The American burst out of the blocks hard tonight in Brussels as she tried to combat her Dutch rival’s pure speed advantage. With Felix running in lane 5 and Schippers to her outside in 6, the American made up the stagger on the world champion just 50m in, an aggressive start that we’re not used to seeing from Felix. She would pay for this decision, however, as just 50m later Schippers caught Felix, and then used her 10.81 100m speed to power home in 22.12, celebrating with her arm raised as Felix settled for 2nd in 22.22.

 

Although Felix lost today’s first round, she received a nice consolation prize as her 14 points were enough to secure the Diamond Race title. 

 

Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase - Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi Runs 9:05.36, Third-Fastest Woman All-Time

 

31-year-old Habiba Ghribi was only second in the women’s steeple final in Beijing, but after tonight’s run in Brussels the Tunisian has established herself as one of the best in the event’s history. 

 

Using a scorching 2:59 last kilometer, Ghribi obliterated a loaded field that featured seven of the top 10 finishers in the World Championship final. Her 9:05.36 tonight puts her at third all-time, and lowers her 2015 world lead by nearly six seconds as well. 

Habiba Ghribi was only second in the Beijing steeple final on August 26th, but tonight she became the 3rd fastest woman in history with her 9:05.36 run in Brussels

Even despite a rough 6th place finish, Kenya’s Virginia Nyambura secured the Diamond Race title and the $40K reward in Brussels with her 15 points, as 2015 World champion Hyvin Jepkemoi ended up 2nd with 13 points after her runner-up finish on Friday in a 9:10.15 PR. 

 

American Stephanie Garcia beat her compatriot Emma Coburn for the first time since their collegiate days back in 2009, as Garcia was seventh in 9:25.20 with Coburn a disappointing eighth in 9:32.13. Afterwards, Coburn took to Twitter to share her frustration with the race:
 

 

The 24-year-old Coburn figured to break Jenny Simpson’s 9:12.50 American record at some point this season after running a smooth 9:15 to win USAs, but she came no closer than her 9:20.67 at Lausanne on July 9th throughout the rest of the season. Coburn was sick in Monaco on July 17th, hence her 9:23.91 result there, but she managed to salvage her season with her fifth place finish in the World Championship final, the highest placing of her career at a global competition. 

 

Coburn owns a 9:11.42 PR from July 12, 2014 that was originally the U.S. record, but that mark was not ratified by USATF since the American did not take a drug test after her run in Glasgow. 

 

Men’s 800m - Poland’s Kszczot Zooms Around Entire Field In Last 200m, Amos Collects Paycheck

 

It was a bizarre finale in the men’s 800 on Friday night in Brussels as none of the 11-men field were willing to follow pacer Thijmen Kupers as he split 49.68 through the opening 400m. The reluctant half-milers hung well back in around 51 seconds at the bell.

 

Ethiopia’s Mo Aman and Botswana’s Nijel Amos led as the pace started to ramp up at 600m in 1:17, but then suddenly 2015 World Championships silver medalist Adam Kszczot of Poland shot himself out of a cannon from the back of the race to the front, looking as if he surprised Aman and Amos all the while. 

Poland's Adam Kszczot kicked hard to win the 800 in Brussels in 1:45.12

The 2013 World champion Aman and the 2012 Olympic silver medalist Amos tried to respond with 150m to go, but by then the Pole has established his position on the rail, a spot he would never relinquish. Amos challenged on the outside in lane 2, but the 26-year-old Kszczot was able to save just enough energy to hold off the 21-year-old Botswanan, 1:45.12 to 1:45.25.

 

Amos' runner-up finish was enough to secure his second straight Diamond Race title, as he
ended the season with 16 points as Kszczot was 2nd in the season-long race with 10 points.

He won’t admit it, but it seemed that Bolt got into the American’s head at Worlds, which caused him to perform below his abilities on the biggest stage. Gatlin knows how to race without Bolt, but he needs to learn how to get it done with the world’s fastest man on the starting line.