ZURICH: Armand Duplantis admitted to feeling “wrecked” after an exhibition 100m race, while Sha’Carri Richardson and Letsile Tebogo steamed to sprint victories at the Zurich Diamond League meeting on Thursday.
So much is now expected when Duplantis takes to the runway of the pole vault, but it was for him a relatively disappointing competition in cold and rainy conditions, albeit a victory.
The Swede won with a best clearance of 5.82m on countback from American Sam Kendricks.
“Mentally, I felt good today, but my body felt wrecked after yesterday’s race,” he said in reference to the 100m showdown with 400m hurdles world record holder Karsten Warholm.
Duplantis won the sprint in a “very impressive” 10.37sec to Warholm’s 10.47.
“For both of us it was a great experience,” said Duplantis. “It was super amazing. I think we built a super event, it was very new and innovative.”
While Duplantis at least picked up another win, Warholm was an absentee after pinging his hamstring after his sprint endeavors.
But as the loser, Warholm was deigned to wear one of the Swede’s national tops in action on Thursday.
While not competing, Warholm duly made an appearance on the track dressed in Duplantis’ kit, but said it was “terrible. I need to take a really good shower after this!“
The Norwegian added: “I would prefer to race rather than do the walk of shame. But I felt something in my hamstring. I tried to warm up but I made the decision not to run.
“I hope my good friend Mondo will let me get away with this. I hope not to do this ever again!” he said, passionately kissing a Norway flag thrown from organizers, to rapturous applause from the crowd.
Roshawn Clarke of Jamaica, in 47.49sec, won the 400m hurdles in his absence.
World champion Richardson went some way to avenging her Olympic defeat by Julien Alfred by reversing the tables in the 100m.
Richardson headed into the final 20 meters in third behind Saint Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith.
But the American stayed strong and focused on the line, producing a savage dip for first place in 10.84 seconds, 0.04sec ahead of Alfred.
“I am training and executing because I know the race is not going to take care of itself,” said Richardson.
Botswana’s Olympic champion Tebogo also left it late for his victory in the men’s 200m.
The 21-year-old edged Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek by 0.02sec as he won in 19.55sec.
“I always dig deep for the races and for everything, so, for me it means a lot,” said Tebogo.
And in a re-run of the men’s 1500m Olympic final, it was American Yared Nuguse who took the spoils, outsprinting Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen to the line in 3:29.21.
“This race was so highly anticipated and I knew that it was going to be quick in the end,” said Nuguse.
“Everyone could have got this race. I am glad I was still able to win.”
Beatrice Chebet, who became double Olympic champion in Paris (5,000m and 10,000m), fell short in her tilt at a world record in the shorter event.
Chebet had pacemakers, wavelight technology and a 30,000 sell-out crowd baying her on, but the Kenyan finally timed 14:09.52, all the while smashing by 21sec the meet record set back in September 2011 by compatriot Vivian Jepkemei Cheruiyot.
There was a fifth consecutive Diamond League victory for Ukraine’s Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who managed a best of 1.96m in the high jump for victory.
There were also two more dominant performances from Americans who’d struck gold in Paris.
First up, three-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser wrapped up another shot put competition with a winning 22.66m.
Grant Holloway then clocked a rapid 12.99sec for victory in the 110m hurdles.
