The Herculis EBS athletics Diamond League event returned to the Principality on Friday, July 9, and brought with it a selection of the world’s finest athletes. Spectators of the Diamond League’s Monaco leg witnessed several national and one continental record get smashed on the track and field of Stade Louis II.
Many athletes achieved their personal bests in their respective competitions, but some took the competition up a level by breaking their own countries’ records, while others managed to set some world-leading figures.
The men’s 1500m never disappoints in Monaco, and this year’s competition was no exception. On this occasion, one World Leading (WL) time, one Area Record (AR) and several personal bests were achieved. For those who do not follow athletics, a WL time refers to the best mark achieved worldwide within a given season, while an AR often refers to a continental record.
In the 1500 metre competition, Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot raced to victory, finishing in first place with a WL and a new PB of 3:28.28. In second place was Spain’s Mohamed Katir, who set a new national record of 3:28.76. However, the records didn’t stop there, as fourth place Australian Stewart McSweyn set a new Oceania record of 3:29.51, the only Area Record of the competition. To top it all off, Poland’s Marcin Lewandowski went on to set his nation’s record time too, meaning that the spectators witnessed a very rapid race indeed.
Among the highlights of the women’s competition was the 800 metre race, which saw five personal bests get smashed, as well as the achievement of a new National Record for Uganda’s Halimah Nakaayi. The woman’s 1500 metres also saw fireworks, as Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon established a new WL time and a new National Record time of 3:51.07, the fourth-fastest time for this event in history.
Now that this exciting edition of the Diamond League’s Monaco meet has come to a close, the athletic world sets its sights on the London ‘British Grand Prix’ event as the next step in the Diamond league on July 13, ahead of the already controversial 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Featured image: Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot at the Stade Louis II
