Noah Lyles' 200m Win Highlights Brussels Diamond League Finale
Noah Lyles' 200m Win Highlights Brussels Diamond League Finale
Recap of the action at the 2017 IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium.
The 2017 IAAF Diamond League series officially ended today with the final meet in Brussels, Belgium. Click here for full results from the event, view the live play-by-play here and read below for highlights from the action, plus a full list of the Diamond League champions in every event, each of whom receive the Diamond League trophy and a $50,000 check.
20-year-old Noah Lyles highlighted American action with his exciting victory in the 200m over reigning world champion Ramil Guliyev of Turkey.
Lyles had been an early favorite for the world title after winning the Shanghai Diamond League in 19.90, what was then the world-leading time. But he pulled out of USAs with an injury and was unable to represent Team USA at worlds. This victory, then, was a nice boost for what had become a disappointing summer.
Lyles won in 20.00, U.S. champion and worlds fifth placer Ameer Webb was second in 20.01 and Guliyev placed third in 20.02.
After stumbling and losing out on a 400m medal at the World Championships, reigning Olympic quarter mile champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo ended her season with two Diamond League victories in the 200m and 400m, plus $100,000 worth of prize money from the IAAF. Not bad.
She held off world silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who is just 19 years old, to win with a new 2017 world leader and Bahamian national record of 49.46. Naser also set a new national record in 49.88.
Americans Courtney Okolo and Natasha Hastings, neither of whom made the world team for the open 400m, placed third and fourth, respectively.
Lance Brauman, who coaches both Lyles and Miller-Uibo, was a pretty happy guy.
The Diamond League final is perfectly scheduled for athletes who fall short of goals at the major world championship. Elaine Thompson is perhaps an even more perfect example of this than either Lyles or Miller-Uibo. The Jamaican was the start of the Rio Olympic, winning individual titles in the 100m and 200m, but did not earn any medals at the World Championships this summer. She did not enter the 200m and was reportedly ill during the 100m final, where she managed a well-beaten fifth.
Marie-Josée Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast was twice the fourth place finisher in Rio, then earned twin silver medals in the 100m and 200m at Worlds. She and Thompson were clearly the class of the field here, and Ta Lou got out harder, but Thompson closed hard on her rival to win, 10.92 to 10.93.
Americans Evan Jager and Jenny Simpson entered the Diamond League finals with high hopes for glory after earning medals at the IAAF World Championships this summer. Jager earned bronze, a disappointing result for him, after leading the second half of the men's 3K steeplechase and occupying most of the season as the fastest man in the world. Simpson's silver medal in the women's 1500m at worlds was a bit more unexpected, even after medaling in the Olympics last summer, simply given the level of depth in the event.
So, the finals then were a chance for both to improve on their worlds placement but there was a bit more pressure on Jager, who was also hoping to improve his American record and finally dip under 8 minutes.
It wasn't meant to be, for though he held the lead at 2K, he passed through the split a bit slow in 5:24.45 with his main competitors, world gold medalist Conseslus Kipruto and silver medalist Soufiane El Bakkali in tow. Both athletes passed Jager at the bell and the American couldn't seem to muster the strength to hang on.
Jager was out of striking distance at the final barrier, where he fell in the pit after jumping over the hurdle. He rose and kicked down the home straight for third place in 8:11.71.
Kipruto, the reigning Olympic and world champion, outkicked Bakkali in the final meters to win 8:04.73 to 8:04.83.
Stanley Kebenei of the U.S. took fourth behind Jager in 8:11.93. The only other American in the field was Andy Bayer, who placed 10th in 8:26.15.
Simpson, meanwhile, was never a factor in the women's 1500m as world and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon battled exclusively with world leader Sifan Hassan, who has scored several big Diamond League wins this summer but placed just fourth at Worlds after kicking too soon. Hassan led at the bell lap in 3:11.64, but Kipyegon took the advantage in the final meters, 3:57.04 to 3:57.22.
Simpson moved up from eighth to sixth and finished with a new season's best of 4:00.70.
Noah Lyles Is BACK!
Noah Lyles just won the Diamond League 200m final after missing worlds to injury!!! https://t.co/aFWZxumc64 #BrusselsDL pic.twitter.com/JjuPDxouhd
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) September 1, 2017
20-year-old Noah Lyles highlighted American action with his exciting victory in the 200m over reigning world champion Ramil Guliyev of Turkey.
Lyles had been an early favorite for the world title after winning the Shanghai Diamond League in 19.90, what was then the world-leading time. But he pulled out of USAs with an injury and was unable to represent Team USA at worlds. This victory, then, was a nice boost for what had become a disappointing summer.
A Diamond League win for my first Pro season can I get an Amen @Diamond_League #DiamondLeague #DLFinal #BrusselsDL @adidasrunning pic.twitter.com/lCLkEPoQpm
— Noah Lyles (@LylesNoah) September 1, 2017
Lyles won in 20.00, U.S. champion and worlds fifth placer Ameer Webb was second in 20.01 and Guliyev placed third in 20.02.
So Is Shaunae Miller-Uibo
Shaunae Miller-Uibo is now a 2x Diamond League champion in 2017, capturing 400 to go w 200 title! https://t.co/aFWZxumc64 #BrusselsDL pic.twitter.com/8CL3gc1Hyh
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) September 1, 2017
After stumbling and losing out on a 400m medal at the World Championships, reigning Olympic quarter mile champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo ended her season with two Diamond League victories in the 200m and 400m, plus $100,000 worth of prize money from the IAAF. Not bad.
She held off world silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain, who is just 19 years old, to win with a new 2017 world leader and Bahamian national record of 49.46. Naser also set a new national record in 49.88.
Americans Courtney Okolo and Natasha Hastings, neither of whom made the world team for the open 400m, placed third and fourth, respectively.
Lance Brauman, who coaches both Lyles and Miller-Uibo, was a pretty happy guy.
The best way to finish a season!! @LylesNoah @Hey_ItsShaunae @PUREathletic @adidasrunning pic.twitter.com/fjxLwwRMFK
— Lance Brauman (@LanceBrauman) September 1, 2017
And Elaine Thompson
Marie-Josée Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast was twice the fourth place finisher in Rio, then earned twin silver medals in the 100m and 200m at Worlds. She and Thompson were clearly the class of the field here, and Ta Lou got out harder, but Thompson closed hard on her rival to win, 10.92 to 10.93.
Elaine Thompson over Marie-Josee Ta Lou, 10.92 to 10.93 https://t.co/aFWZxumc64 #BrusselsDL pic.twitter.com/xkZCD57xqU
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) September 1, 2017
Americans Evan Jager, Jenny Simpson Fall Short
Americans Evan Jager and Jenny Simpson entered the Diamond League finals with high hopes for glory after earning medals at the IAAF World Championships this summer. Jager earned bronze, a disappointing result for him, after leading the second half of the men's 3K steeplechase and occupying most of the season as the fastest man in the world. Simpson's silver medal in the women's 1500m at worlds was a bit more unexpected, even after medaling in the Olympics last summer, simply given the level of depth in the event.
So, the finals then were a chance for both to improve on their worlds placement but there was a bit more pressure on Jager, who was also hoping to improve his American record and finally dip under 8 minutes.
It wasn't meant to be, for though he held the lead at 2K, he passed through the split a bit slow in 5:24.45 with his main competitors, world gold medalist Conseslus Kipruto and silver medalist Soufiane El Bakkali in tow. Both athletes passed Jager at the bell and the American couldn't seem to muster the strength to hang on.
Evan Jager goes down on final water jump, gets up and scraps his way to third in 8:11 https://t.co/aFWZxumc64 #BrusselsDL pic.twitter.com/J98w6d9gwL
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) September 1, 2017
Jager was out of striking distance at the final barrier, where he fell in the pit after jumping over the hurdle. He rose and kicked down the home straight for third place in 8:11.71.
Kipruto, the reigning Olympic and world champion, outkicked Bakkali in the final meters to win 8:04.73 to 8:04.83.
Stanley Kebenei of the U.S. took fourth behind Jager in 8:11.93. The only other American in the field was Andy Bayer, who placed 10th in 8:26.15.
World champ Faith Kipyegon gets by Sifan Hassan in final stretch for DL 1500 title in 3:57! https://t.co/aFWZxumc64 #BrusselsDL pic.twitter.com/5QDTGUQOgq
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) September 1, 2017
Simpson, meanwhile, was never a factor in the women's 1500m as world and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon battled exclusively with world leader Sifan Hassan, who has scored several big Diamond League wins this summer but placed just fourth at Worlds after kicking too soon. Hassan led at the bell lap in 3:11.64, but Kipyegon took the advantage in the final meters, 3:57.04 to 3:57.22.
Simpson moved up from eighth to sixth and finished with a new season's best of 4:00.70.
2017 Diamond League Champions
| SEX | EVENT | ATHLETE | NATION | WINNING MARK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | SP | Darrell Hill | USA | 22.44m |
| W | DT | Sandra Perkovic | Croatia | 68.82m |
| W | LJ | Ivana Spanovic | Serbia | 6.70m |
| W | PV | Katerina Stefanidi | Greece | 4.85m |
| W | HJ | Mariya Lasitskene | Russia | 2.02m |
| W | 400H | Dalilah Muhammad | USA | 53.89 |
| W | 5K | Hellen Obiri | Kenya | 14:25.88 |
| M | DT | Andrius Gudzius | Lithuania | 68.16m |
| M | 110H | Sergey Shubenkov | Russia | 13.14 |
| M | TJ | Christian Taylor | USA | 17.49m |
| W | 400 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | Bahamas | 49.46 |
| M | 3K SC | Conseslus Kipruto | Kenya | 8:04.73 |
| M | 200 | Noah Lyles | USA | 20 |
| W | 1500 | Faith Kipyegon | Kenya | 3:57.04 |
| M | 800 | Nijel Amos | Botswana | 1:44.53 |
| W | 100 | Elaine Thompson | Jamaica | 10.92 |
| M | 100 | Chijindu Ujah | Great Britain | 9.97 |
| M | 400 | Isaac Makwala | Botswana | 43.95 |
| M | 1500 | Timothy Cheruiyot | Kenya | 3:33.93 |
| M | 5K | Mo Farah | Great Britain | 13:05.06 |
| M | 400H | Kyron McMaster | British Virgin Islands | 48.07 |
| M | HJ | Mutaz Essa Barshim | Qatar | 2.36m |
| M | PV | Sam Kendricks | USA | 5.87m |
| M | LJ | Luvo Mayonga | South Africa | 8.49m |
| M | JT | Jakub Vadlejch | Czech Republic | 88.50m |
| W | 200 | Shaunae Miller-Uibo | Bahamas | 21.88 |
| W | 800 | Caster Semenya | South Africa | 1:55.84 |
| W | 100H | Sally Pearson | Australia | 12.55 |
| W | 3K SC | Ruth Jebet | Bahrain | 8:55.29 |
| W | TJ | Olga Rypakova | Kazakhstan | 14.55m |
| W | SP | Lijiao Gong | China | 19.60m |
| W | JT | Barbora Spotakova | Czech Republic | 65.54m |