© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated
The sport of athletics is very much alive in some cities. London showed her colours, with 60,000 people attending the London Diamond League meet on Saturday at the London Olympic Stadium. It was the final major meet before the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Some athletes demonstrated terrific fitness just in time before the Games.
Matthew Hudson-Smith
Great Britain’s 29-year-old sprinter, Matthew Hudson-Smith set a new European 400-metre record, clocking an impressive 43.74-second run in London on Saturday.
Hudson Smith set the world lead, the meet record and a European record with his run. He was followed in by Vernon Norwood and Jereem Richards who finished second and third, respectively. They improved their bests to 44.10 and 44.18.
“43 seconds before Paris is exactly what my coach and my team and I were aiming for. To get that world lead and to set me up for Paris is what I really needed to show to the rest of the world what I am capable of.”
Keely Hodgkinson
The 22-year-old ran to the front early and led throughout, not relinquishing the lead at any time. Hodgkinson improved her national record with the 800m performance.
Fellow Brit Jemma Reekie, who has been running well this season, was in the mix at the halfway split, along with France’s Halimah Nakaayi and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin who moved from fourth to third with fewer than 400m to go. Reekie was running on Hodgkinson’s shoulder for much of the race.
"It's the best crowd I've ever run in front of. I'm feeling really good and confident ahead of Paris."@keelyhodgkinson after her 800m British record at #LondonDL🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/SmBod89THk
— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 20, 2024
After 600m, Hodgkinson kicked, then won in a world-leading, and meet record time of 1:54.61. It was her first finish going sub 1:55. Hodgkinson’s previous best was 1:55.19 from the Eugene Diamond League meet in Sept. 2023. Reekie set a new personal best of 1:55.61 for second place. England’s Georgia Bell took third for a British podium sweep. Bell also clocked a new PB of 1:56.26.
Noah Lyles
American Noah Lyles set a new personal best in the 100m
Lyles sprinted to another win in the men’s 100m setting a PB of 9.81 into a headwind of -0.3 m/s ahead. Finishing in second place was Akani Simbine from South Africa, he improved his seasonal best to 9.86. Twenty-one-year-old Letsile Tebogo of Botswana equalled his national record with 9.88.
“I set a PB and got faster before Paris. I wanted to dip under 6.70m. I thought I was going to get a wind like everyone else. I know exactly where I am exactly ahead of Paris.”
Femke Bol
Femke Bol ran the 400m hurdles in a nearly new personal time. The Dutch athlete thrilled the sell-out crowd. Bol is a favourite to medal in Paris. Saturday, she ran a new meet record and second-best time, personally winning in 51.30. Shamier Little from the US ran a season’s best 52.78 for second in 52.78. Taking third as Rushell Clayon from Jamaica in 53.24.
At this time it appears the only athlete who has the ability to beat her is American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone who recently improved her own world record. She lowered her world record, running the 400-metre hurdles in 50.65 seconds June 30th.