World record holders Faith Kipyegon and Karsten Warholm lit up the Silesia Diamond League on Saturday, 16 August, in a night packed with records and standout performances.
Warholm stormed to the third-fastest 400m hurdles in history, winning in 46.28. Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel ran a national record 47.31 for second, with Abderrahman Samba third in 47.34.
Kipyegon came close to Wang Junxia’s 3000m world record from 1993, crossing in 8:07.04 – just outside the 8:06.11 mark. In the 1500m, Gudaf Tsegay also chased a global mark but faded late, winning in a meeting record 3:50.62 ahead of Beatrice Chebet’s 3:54.73.
Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson returned from her Olympic triumph with a world-leading 1:54.74 in the 800m. Behind her, 20-year-old Claudia Hollingsworth became the fastest Australian woman ever at the distance, finishing fifth in 1:57.67 to break Catriona Bisset’s former record of 1:57.78. Fellow Australian Abbey Caldwell also dipped under the old mark, placing sixth in 1:57.70.
View this post on Instagram
In other highlights, Masai Russell set a Diamond League record in the 100m hurdles with 12.19. Marileidy Paulino won the women’s 400m in 49.81, edging Salwa Eid Naser (49.27). Femke Bol dominated the 400m hurdles in 51.91.
Pole vault star Armand Duplantis cleared 6.10m after a battle with Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis but fell short at 6.20m.
Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers marked her return with a 1.97m clearance for silver in the high jump, less than a month before the World Athletics Championships. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Cameron Myers ran 3:33.82 for sixth in the 1500m, calling the tactical race valuable practice for next month’s championships:
“With the final, I’ve got most of the tools there. It’s actually navigating my way in getting to the final.”
