Athletics, Duplantis in Brussels jumps 6.05. Randazzo third in the long run, is in the final

Again him, always him: Mondo Duplantis. The Swede, at the 45th memorial Van Damme at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels (28,000 spectators and thermometer between 20-21 degrees), the last leg of the 2021 Diamond League before the finals on Wednesday and Thursday in Zurich, flies with his auction to 6.05, twenty-fourth race of the career over six meters (fifteenth outdoors). Then, for the umpteenth time, at the end of the program, he tries the 6.19 of the world record. The second of the three attempts suggests that the Olympic champion has the measure in the legs and arms, but the appointment is postponed.

Well done Randazzo

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For the rest there is plenty of choice. With even a little bit of Italy. Filippo Randazzo, in a technically non-transcendental long race, is third with the 7.89 (+0.7) of the first jump behind the American McCarter (7.99 in the three-way final) and the South African Samaai (7.95). For the Sicilian it is enough to win the Letzigrund final. An evening to forget, however, for Alessia Trost, in the high stops at 1.80 in an evening that, at the top, seems to be the replica of the Olympic final, but with a different outcome. The Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh prevails with 2.02, with the Russian authorized Mariya Lasitskene and the Australian Nicola McDermott at 2.00.

Women

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There are many noteworthy women’s competitions. Starting with those won by Christine Mboma and Francine Niyonsaba. The 18-year-old Namibian flies in the 200 in 21 “84 (+0.4), the 28-year-old Burundian makes her 5000 in 14’25” 34. This is super performance, both obtained in the face of high-level competition. The first, making its debut on the circuit, with a great straight, remains only three hundredths from its junior world record achieved by winning silver at the Tokyo Games. In the middle the same 21 ”84 with which, in Nairobi, he dominated the World Championships. The second, with an improved staff of 29 ”, marks the national record and the third consecutive success in the Diamond League after those of Eugene on the two miles and Paris on the 3000 (awaiting the debut on the road).

Behind Mboma, in Belgium, the Jamaican Shericka Jackson (21 “95), the British Dina Asher-Smith (22” 04, improved by 2/100 season), the American Sha’Carri Richardson (22 “45, Sunday about 100 in Padua) and compatriot of the same age Beatrice Masilingi (22 ”50). Francine is also the author of a sensational finish: she exits the last corner in fourth position and then lands the winning paw. Behind, in less than a second, the Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye and the Kenyan Hellen Obiri, double champion of the specialty. With the two, the case of intersex athletes remains very topical. Too bad there was no Sifan Hassan in the 5000: the Dutchman opts for the mile and, with 4’14 ”74, disintegrates the competition. For the double Olympic gold it is the fifth time all-time: two others belong to her, world record in a couple of seconds included.

Men

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In the men’s field, American athletes take center stage. In the 100, in the hours in which Usain Bolt launches his reggae record “Country Yutes”, they even make a hat-trick. Fred Kerley (9 “94 / + 0.1) precedes Trayvon Bromell (9” 97) and Michael Norman (9 “98). In the 400 like Micheal Cherry who, after the 44 “55 on Tuesday in Rovereto (braking inexplicably), with 44” 03 improves the personnel signed with the fourth place in the Games by 18/100 and by 6 the primacy of the meeting which since 1998 belonged to Michael Johnson. For the Olympic gold fractionist of the 4×400 it is the twelfth consecutive race under 45 seconds.