2019 IAAF World Championships

Zurich Diamond League Recap: Warholm Beats Benjamin In 46.92

Zurich Diamond League Recap: Warholm Beats Benjamin In 46.92

The first half of the Diamond League events concluded on Thursday with an epic men's 400m hurdles and a near American record by Donavan Brazier in the 800m.

Aug 29, 2019 by Lincoln Shryack
Zurich Diamond League Recap: Warholm Beats Benjamin In 46.92

$50,000 and the title of Diamond League champion were on the line in Zurich on Thursday as the first-half of the IAAF's two-part finale went down in the Swiss city. There were also additional World Championship berths to award with the champions earning byes to Doha, for either themselves or their compatriots.

Here were the highlights from the Zurich Diamond League:

Warholm Wins Epic Duel Over Benjamin In Greatest Men’s 400m Hurdles Race Ever

The first showdown of the two best 400m hurdlers in the world this season produced the greatest men’s race in history as Norwegian Karsten Warholm held off Rai Benjamin 46.92 to 46.98, the first time the event has produced two sub-47 second performances in one contest.

For Warholm, 46.92 is the second-fastest time ever behind only Kevin Young’s 46.78. Warholm got off to his typical aggressive start, but as opposed to the dominant solo victories he’s piled up en masse this season, the 23-year-old reigning world champ had a battle on his hands with Benjamin in the final 100m. The American champion, who ran 47.02 at NCAAs in 2018, appeared to draw even between the ninth and 10th hurdle, but Warholm responded with a final gear that Benjamin couldn’t match.

The consolation prize for the the 22-year-old Benjamin was just the fourth ever sub-47 second run. 46.98 ties him with Abderrahman Samba for third all-time.

But the story is Warholm, who now has a clear path to another world title and Young’s world record as well. With Samba’s status unclear (he hasn’t raced since July) partnered with his defeat of Benjamin, the fastest man in 27 years will expect gold and another two-tenths in Doha.

Donavan Brazier Scares U.S. Record With 1:42.70 Epic Comeback

With a perfectly executed and patient performance, U.S. champion Donavan Brazier ran the race of his life to win the Zurich Diamond League final in 1:42.70 to become the second-fastest American all-time over 800m.

Johnny Gray, who owns the 1:42.60 U.S. record, is the only American to run faster than what Brazier did in Switzerland. Today's performance was the quickest for the U.S. since Gray ran 1:42.65 31 years ago.

Brazier laid off the insanely fast early pace— Nijel Amos was right behind the pacer as the leaders went through 400m in an eye-popping 48.23— as the 22-year-old Brazier was out of frame in second to last with one lap to go. But his last 400m was an all-timer as he gradually moved up before pouncing on the completely zapped duo of Emmanuel Korir and Amos in the final 100m.

Brazier’s splits were a coach’s dream of 50.8 and 51.9, with Amos’ serving as a nightmare of 48.4 and 54.6. There are many ways to run 1:42, but Brazier showed clearly that his was superior. Amos settled for second in 1:42.98.

The only man who may be happier than Brazier after his victory is fellow American Brannon Kidder, the sixth-place U.S. finisher who will be granted a spot at the World Championships by virtue of Brazier’s Diamond League title.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo Confirms She’s The Best 200m Runner On The Planet

She may not run the 200m at this year’s World Championships, but Shaunae Miller-Uibo definitively proved that she is the best 200m runner in the world right now. On Thursday, the 25-year-old from the Bahamas won her third straight Diamond League title in a 21.74 personal best, the fastest time in the world since 2015. Only 10 women in history have run faster.

The 2016 400m Olympic champion got off to a strong start that left just Dina Asher-Smith within shouting distance in the straightaway. Miller-Uibo then blasted past her and continued to motor through the finish line. The Brit Asher-Smith was a distant second in 22.08.

McLaughlin Crushes Everyone, Including Muhammad, In 400m Hurdles Showdown

Another women’s 400m hurdles battle, yet another twist as 20-year-old Sydney McLaughlin dethroned world record holder Dalilah Muhammad to win her first Diamond League title convincingly in 52.85, a full second better than runner-up Shamier Little in 53.86.

Muhammad, running her first race since she set the 52.20 world record at USAs on July 28, struggled in the final 200 meters as she faded to third in 54.13. The 2016 Olympic champion has now bookended her record with two performances north of 54 seconds, as she previously ran 54.35 in Oslo to place second behind McLaughlin. Her status as the Doha favorite is no more.

For McLaughlin, 52.85 is the second-fastest run of her life and her best this season. The U.S. runner-up was much better off the line than she has been previously in 2019, and that allowed her to win easily when combined with her strong finish. Muhammad will likely be better in Doha, but no woman has been more consistent than the rookie McLaughlin in 2019.

Noah Lyles Completes First Half Of 100-200m Diamond League Double

The year of Noah Lyles continued in Zurich as the 200m ace won the 100m Diamond League crown in 9.98 to at least serve as an appetizer for the 2020 season. With no Christian Coleman, who is awaiting a hearing for three missed doping tests, Lyles went mostly unchallenged as a strong start by his standards left the field fighting for second.

No other man broke 10 seconds with China’s Xie Zhenye second in 10.04. Reigning world champion Justin Gatlin was a non-factor in 10.08 for fourth.

Lyles, of course, will not contest the 100m at this year’s world championships as he has put all his eggs in the 200m basket for 2019. Although a Diamond League win can serve as a bye to the championships, Gatlin’s defending world champion bye trumps that wildcard.

But Lyles’ victory nonetheless sets the stage for the 22-year-old next year as he intends to run the 100m/200m double in Tokyo. He will go for the Diamond sprint sweep next week in the Brussels 200m, a distance he hasn’t lost outdoors since 2016.

Joshua Cheptegei Scores 5k Upset With Aggressive Tactics

A decision to stick with the pacers while the rest of the field chose to hang back paid off for Joshua Cheptegei in a big way as the Ugandan won the men’s 5,000m Diamond League crown in a 12:57.41 personal best.  

Cheptegei’s sizable lead, which was 30-40 meters at its peak with just a few laps to go, had shrunk to a manageable gap with 400m to run for a pack of Ethiopians that included Selemon Barega, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha, a trio who all ran in the 12:40s in last year’s Diamond League final. 

But the trio waited too long to make their move and it cost each a shot at the $50,000 prize. Gebrhiwet wound up second in 12:58.15, while Barega and Kejelcha faded to fifth and sixth, respectively.

Americans Paul Chelimo and Ben True were eighth and ninth in 13:14.18 and 13:18.27, respectively.

Sifan Hassan Wins Second 1500 Diamond League Title In 3:57

A cluttered pack of five women entering the last lap of the 1500m suddenly became uncluttered as mile world record holder Sifan Hassan made a critical move with 300 meters to go that no one else could counter. The Dutchwoman continued her marvelous 2019 campaign by winning in Zurich going away in 3:57.08 with a 57.71 last quarter.

A key moment in the race happened in the third lap after the pacer stepped off, when a leading Genzebe Dibaba stomped on the brakes to muddy up the field. That decision allowed almost everyone back into the race and proved to be an error for the 1500m world record holder Dibaba; she was ultimately fourth in 4:00.86 in her first race in over a month and a half.

Behind Hassan, Nike Oregon Project teammate Konstanze Klosterhalfen was second in 3:59.02. But the day belonged to Hassan, who now must surely be reconsidering competing in the 1500m in Doha. The 26-year-old has previously said that she wants to do the 5k/10k double at Worlds.

Beatrice Chepkoech Survives Fast Early Pace To Win Second Straight Steeple Diamond League

Despite foolishly running her first kilometer in 2:51, well under her own world record pace, Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech held on for victory in the women’s steeplechase in 9:01.71. 

The 8:44 performer clearly had designs on lowering her personal best to stamp an exclamation point on her season before next month’s World Championships, but a wobbly 3:05 second kilometer threw out that possibility and made her vulnerable to the rest of the field. But Chepkoech managed to keep it together in the last two laps to win comfortably by over two seconds over Hyvin Kiyeng.

Reigning world champion Emma Coburn struggled in the last lap as she faded to sixth in 9:10.01.

Salwa Eid Naser Dominates 400m Without Shaunae Miller-Uibo

Without world leader Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the field, the women’s 400m Diamond League title was virtually guaranteed to go to Bahraini sprinter Salwa Eid Naser. She delivered comfortably as expected in Zurich to win her second straight such crown in 50.24, thoroughly dominating by nearly a second. U.S. champion Shakima Wimbley was a distant second in 51.21.