Yared Nuguse pips Josh Kerr while Kyron McMaster shocks Karsten Warholm as the Diamond League resumes just four days after the close of the World Champs in Budapest
Laura Muir’s 2023 season has been full of highs and lows but she is ending the summer in style after victory in the 800m at the Weltklasse in Zurich.
After finishing sixth in the world 1500m final last week in Budapest, Muir stepped down in distance and won over two laps in emphatic style in 1:57.71.
Catriona Bisset of Australia was just over a second behind in 1:58.77 with Adelle Tracey of Jamaica third in 1:59.05 as European under-20 champion Audrey Werro of Switzerland ran a PB of 1:59.50 in seventh.
“I already ran the 800m this season, but in a mixed race, so it is my first legit 800m time,” said Muir. “I am running in Brussels and Eugene, and I know I am in really good shape over 800m, so I wanted to get a time down, run fast, and be competitive. I thought I could win here, but you just never know.”
Despite coming into the race as reigning world champion, Josh Kerr is still looking for an elusive first Diamond League win and on Thursday night in Zurich he was out-dipped on the line by a fast-finishing Yared Nuguse of the United States as he charged through the inside of Kerr.
Kerr found himself alone in the lead for much of the final 700m and had ambitions of breaking Mo Farah’s British record of 3:28.81, but he clocked 3:30.51 as Nuguse ran 3:30.49.
Yared Nuguse pips Josh Kerr (Getty)
Abel Kipsang of Kenya was third in 3:30.85 with Kerr’s fellow Brit, George Mills, running a PB in fourth of 3:30.95 to go No.10 on the UK all-time rankings.
Mills had been training in St Moritz but got a late invitation to compete and took a train to Zurich the night before the race – and he did not waste the opportunity either with an inspired run.
“PB, so I can’t complain!” says @georgemills800 after 3:30.95 for 4th for 1500m in Zurich.
The Brit jumped on a train from St Moritz on Wed night after getting a late call up to compete.
🎙️ @stuartweir pic.twitter.com/SCslM5GEl8
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 31, 2023
Kerr was not the only world champion to lose in Zurich. Also nursing a bit of a post-Budapest hangover was Karsten Warholm and the Norwegian suffered a rare defeat as Kyron McMaster, the silver medallist at the World Championships from the British Virgin Islands, won in 47.27 with Warholm three hundredths of a second behind.
“McMaster gave me a really nice fight…
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