World-leading marks from Lamecha Girma and Djamel Sedjati, plus three close attempts at a world record from Mondo Duplantis, were the highlights of the Bauhas Galan – a Wanda Diamond League meeting – in Stockholm on Sunday, June 2.
According to the World Athletics website, Girma, who has already set PBs of 3:53.82 in the mile and 12:58.96 over 5000m this season, was contesting his first steeplechase race of 2024 and was keen to send a clear message to arch-rival Soufiane El Bakkali, the world and Olympic champion.
He may have started a bit too keen, as the early pace (2:36.44 for 1000m) was well inside the world record schedule. The tempo eased, though, as the race went on with Girma’s fellow Ethiopians Samuel Firewu and Getnet Wale following him through 2000m in 5:18.27.
Girma started to tire slightly on the final lap, but he’d already done enough to build up a comfortable leading margin over Firewu. The world record-holder went on to win by more than four seconds in a world-leading 8:01.63 – almost eight seconds faster than El Bakkali’s winning mark in Marrakech last month.
Firewu followed in a PB of 8:05.78 and Tunisia’s Mohamed Amin Jhinaoui set a national record of 8:10.41 in third.
Another world lead came at the end of the evening as Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati ran away from the field to win the men’s 800m.
The 2022 world silver medallist positioned himself towards the back of the pack for the first lap as world bronze medallist Ben Pattison tracked the pacemaker in 50.7. Pattison held the lead up to 600m, by which time Sedjati had moved into second. Sedjati hit top gear as he came off the final bend, then opened up a significant gap to win in 1:43.23.
World indoor champion Bryce Hoppel came through to take second place in 1:44.29 with Tshepiso Masalela finishing just ahead of Pattison, both clocking 1:44.44.
He may not have set a world record this evening, but Duplantis’s attempts at 6.25m in the men’s pole vault suggest his next world record could be just around the corner.
The Swedish vaulter enjoyed first-time clearances at 5.60m, 5.80m, and 5.90m to hold the lead throughout. By that time, Sam Kendricks was the only other man left in the competition, but he exited with three misses at 6.00m.
Duplantis, meanwhile, once again got over it on his first try and then moved the bar up to the world record height. His first attempt was solid; his next two were even better. But it will no doubt give him much motivation as he heads into the European Championships and then the Olympic Games in Paris.