Camryn Rogers, hailing from Richmond, B.C., and an Olympic and world champion, emerged victorious in the women’s hammer throw event at a recent Diamond League competition held in Chorzów, Poland. Rogers secured the top position with a remarkable throw of 75.39 meters on her second attempt, outperforming Krista Tervo from Finland and Silja Kosonen who finished second and third, respectively.
Ethan Katzberg, the reigning Olympic and world champion from Nanaimo, B.C., clinched the second spot in the men’s hammer throw with a throw of 79.30 meters on his fifth attempt. The event was won by Hungary’s Bence Halász with a throw of 81.77 meters on his second try. Halász, who had previously settled for silver behind Katzberg at the Paris Olympics, redeemed himself by claiming victory in Budapest.
Merlin Hummel from Germany secured the third position in the men’s hammer throw event with a distance of 79.16 meters. Notably, both the women’s and men’s hammer throw events are not part of the official program of the Diamond League series but are featured at the meets.
In another event, Savannah Sutherland from Canada made her Diamond League debut in the women’s 400 hurdles, finishing sixth with a time of 55:13. The race was dominated by Femke Bol from the Netherlands, who set a meeting record with a time of 51.91. Sutherland’s participation in the event was uncertain due to an unspecified injury she had suffered earlier in Budapest.
Sutherland, a 22-year-old athlete from Borden, Sask., recently set a Canadian record of 52.46 seconds in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA outdoor track and field championships. She also secured a spot in the world championships after running 50.62 seconds in the 400m flat race in Edmonton. Sutherland’s remarkable performances have earned her recognition as one of the finalists for The Bowerman award, which honors outstanding athletes in U.S. collegiate track and field.
Kishane Thompson from Jamaica set a meeting record of 9.87 seconds to win the men’s 100 meters race, with Noah Lyles from the United States closely following in second place with a time of 9.90. Thompson’s victory marked a significant moment after his previous encounter with Lyles in the Paris Olympics. Lyles expressed satisfaction with breaking the 10-second barrier for the first time this year, despite the defeat.
Faith Kipyegon from Kenya showcased an impressive performance in the women’s 3,000 meters event, coming close to breaking the world record with a time of 8:07.04, just shy of the 1993 record of 8:06.11 set by Wang Junxia from China. Despite her exhaustion post-race, Kipyegon expressed her determination and acknowledged the challenging conditions during the competition.
The Diamond League event in Poland featured various other remarkable performances, including Marileidy Paulino’s victory in the women’s 400 and Keely Hodgkinson’s triumphant return in the women’s 800 after recovering from a hamstring injury. Additionally, Shericka Jackson, Karsten Warholm, Mondo Duplantis, and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden delivered outstanding performances in their respective events.
The upcoming Diamond League competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, is anticipated to witness a rematch between Thompson and Lyles, adding to the excitement of the sprint events.