The Bauhaus Galan, part of the Wanda Diamond League, dazzled spectators in Stockholm on Sunday (2) with remarkable performances from Lamecha Girma, Djamel Sedjati, and Mondo Duplantis, among others.
Lamecha Girma, already having impressive personal bests this season in the mile (3:53.82) and the 5000m (12:58.96), tackled his first steeplechase race of 2024. Aiming to make a statement to his rival Soufiane El Bakkali, the world and Olympic champion, Girma started at a blistering pace. The first 1000m was clocked at a rapid 2:36.44, well within world record range. Although the pace slowed as the race continued, Girma maintained a commanding lead with fellow Ethiopians Samuel Firewu and Getnet Wale close behind until the 2000m mark, reached in 5:18.27.
Girma showed signs of fatigue on the final lap but had built enough of a lead to secure victory. He finished in a world-leading time of 8:01.63, over four seconds ahead of Firewu, who set a personal best of 8:05.78. Tunisia’s Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui broke his national record to place third with a time of 8:10.41.
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Djamel Sedjati of Algeria capped off the evening with another world-leading performance in the men’s 800m. The 2022 world silver medallist ran a strategic race, staying towards the back of the pack for the first lap, where Ben Pattison led with a split of 50.7 seconds. By 600m, Sedjati had moved into second place, and on the final bend, he surged ahead to win in 1:43.23. World indoor champion Bryce Hoppel took second in 1:44.29, with Tshepiso Masalela narrowly beating Pattison for third, both clocking 1:44.44.
Mondo Duplantis thrilled the audience with his attempts to break the world record in the men’s pole vault. The Swedish vaulter cleared 5.60m, 5.80m, and 5.90m on his first attempts, holding the lead throughout the competition. With Sam Kendricks as the last remaining competitor, Duplantis then attempted the world record height of 6.25m. His first attempt showed promise, and his subsequent tries were even closer, hinting that a new world record could be imminent as he looks ahead to the European Championships and the Paris Olympics.
The men’s 3000m race also saw an outdoor world-leading time in a highly competitive field. Narve Gilje Nordas, the world 1500m bronze medallist, timed his final lap surge perfectly to overtake Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu on the home stretch, winning by 0.19 seconds with a personal best of 7:33.49. The race also produced national records for Sweden’s Andreas Almgren, Djibouti’s Mohamed Ismail, and South Africa’s Adriaan Wildschutt, further adding to the event’s highlights.
The Bauhaus Galan meeting once again showcased the exceptional talent within the Diamond League, setting the stage for more thrilling competitions as the season progresses.
