Shericka Jackson, Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Laura Muir win, Wiley drops jaws

© Copyright – 2023 – Athletics Illustrated

At least two world records were attempted Friday in Brussels, Belgium at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme Diamond League meet.

Jamaican sprinter Shericka Jackson went after Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 200-metre record time of 21.34 from 1988. Meanwhile, Norwegian runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen attempted Moroccan Hicham El Gerrouj’s time in the 2000m event of 4:44.79 from 1999. The record was achieved in Berlin at Olympiastadion.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen

Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran for the record and he bettered it by clocking a 4:43.13 performance. Ingebrigtsen wasn’t the only athlete to have a great 2000m race.

In second place was Reynold Cheruiyot, with his 4:48.14 Kenyan national record. Taking third was Australian Stewart McSweyn with an Oceania record of 4:48.77. The Netherlands’ Niels Laros national record of 4:49.68. In fifth place was Mario Garcia with his new Spanish national record of 4:49.85. Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot set the North American area record with his 4:51.54 performance. He finished in eighth place. Finishing in ninth was Rubem Berheyden who clocked a 4:52.37 national record for Belgium. Ten of 11 runners finished well under 5:00.00. The slowest to do so was Samuel Tanner of New Zealand finishing in 4:53.09.

Ingebrigtsen came into the race as the European record holder at 4:50.01 from 2020 during the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway.

The five-lap race got off to a strong start with a 56.77 first lap, guided by Wavelights and three pacers. The lead pacer dropped after the first lap. The first kilometre was run in 2:22. At that point, the second pacer dropped off. The 22-year-old entered the final lap on his own and well ahead of the field but behind the Wavelights. The 35,000 fans in Boudewijnstadion (stadium) were on their feet. With a 55.00-second final lap, he absolutely smashed the field and the record.

Results

Shericka Jackson

Shericka Jackson went after the world 200m record and came close, but no cigar.

As a consolation, if there was one, she broke the Diamond League and meet record with a 21.48 performance.

On August 25 in Budapest, during the 2023 World Athletics Championships, the 29-year-old clocked a 21.41 performance, shy of Flo-Jo’s record by seven one-hundredths of a second.

Jackson now has the second, third, fourth and sixth fastest times in history. She will have one more chance in Eugene at the final Diamond League meet at the Prefontaine Classic on September 16 and 17.

She would need perfect conditions to be able to break the record. The wind was marginally part of the issue at +0.2 of a headwind.

Taking second place was Anthonique Strachan from the Bahamas in 22.31. American Jenna Prandini ran 22.47 for third place. Being nearly one full second ahead of the next competitor shows a large chasm between Jackson and the field. She is currently, the fastest 200m runner in the world.

Results

Muir, Mageean, and Wiley

Great Britain’s Laura Muir was seeking redemption after a disappointing sixth-place finish at the Budapest World Athletics Championships. Following the championships, she won the 800m event in the Zurich edition of the Diamond League on Aug. 31. She finished in the time of 1:57.71. Then the 30-year-old won the 1500m in Brussels in 3:54.34. Mission accomplished, however, she would likely trade in these latter two performances for a gold medal in Budapest, any day. Her bests at the respective distances are 1:56.73 and 3:54.50.

Nine of 15 finishers ran under the four-minute benchmark. Nineteen-year-old Addy Wiley pulled off the feat finishing in eighth spot in the time of 3:59.17 breaking Jenny Simpson‘s collegiate record. Ireland’s Ciara Mageean improved the national record to 3:55.87 in finishing second. Taking third was Kenyan Nelly Chepchirchir in 3:56.93.

Simpson set the old record at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, OR in 2009. She ran 3:59.90. Since then, no one has come close until now.

Results

Full results