Both Renaud Lavillenie and Mutaz Essa Barshim did not win on Saturday, despite coming into the Paris Diamond League as strong favourites in their respective events.
Competing in front of his home crowd, Pole Vault leader, Lavillenie was the overwhelming favourite to win the Pole Vault, but it was not to be as he failed to clear all three attempts in 5.86m, thereby failing to win the event. Greece’s Konstantinos Filippidis won with 5.91m that is a new National Record, while Thiago Braz finished 2nd with 5.86m, followed by Sam Kendricks in 3rd with 5.81m. Interestingly, Lavillenie finished in 6th position with 5.71m.
Another shock was recorded in the High Jump where Mutaz Essa Barshim bowed out at 2.32m. In the absence of Bohdan Bodarenko and Gouwei Zhang, his closest challengers, it looked as if Barshim was going to coast to victory, but it was not to be as he had to settle for 5th position, only clearing 2.29m. Russia’s Danill Tysplakov won the High Jump in 2.32m, with Donald Thomas 2nd in 2.32m, and Antonios Mastoras 3rd in 2.29m.
There was to be no victory comeback for World and Olympic champion, Valerie Adams as she finished 5th in the women’s Shot Put after making her return from an injury. Diamond Race leader, Christina Schwantiz carried on her momentum and won the Shot Put in Paris with her final throw of 20.31m, while China’s Lijao Gong came 2nd with 19.75, and Michelle Carter taking 3rd position with 19.35.
Adams will be content that she is making steady progress, finishing in 5th position with a respectable 18.79, taking part in her first Diamond League of the season.
Russia’s Aleksandr Menkov was beaten in the men’s Long Jump, losing to America’s Michael Hartfield who secured victory with his final attempt of 8.19m. Hartfield is now the joint leader of the Diamond Race alongside Greg Rutherford, who would be hoping to carry on his impressive from Birmingham and New York on his next appearance in the Diamond League, when he competes in London.
Meanwhile in the Triple Jump, Caterine Ibarguen won in 14.87m, beating Yekaterina Koneva, who finished 2nd with 14.72m. Ibarguen is the clear leader at the top and needs a few more victories to clinch the title. Barbora Spotakova won the women’s Javelin in 64.42m, with Kimberley Mickle 2nd in 63.80m, and South Africa’s Sunetta Viljoen 3rd with 63.15m.
In the Discus event, both Piotr Malachowski and Robert Urbanek squarely matched themselves, with just one point separating them prior to this meet. However, it was Malachowski who took all four points on the night with his 65,57m throw in the final round.
Action will resume on Thursday in Lausanne for the ninth Diamond League meet this year, and with time running out, athletes would look to put up good performances to earn points before the end of the season.
Click here to read our review of the track events
Photo Credits: Wikipedia, thenational.ae
