DyeStat.com – News – First Six Diamond League Winners Crowned At City Event In Zurich

Field Event Stars Get Time To Shine In Electric Downtown Atmosphere; Olyslagers Jumps World Leading Height

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

Photos courtesy Diamond League AG

Mondo Duplantis and Joe Kovacs continued their mastery of the Diamond League finals on Wednesday as the two-day finale began at Zurich’s Sechselautenplatz with a boisterous open-air crowd in attendance.

Duplantis narrowly won the men’s pole vault after clearing 6.00m (19-8.25), the same height as Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis. Neither of them could make 6.10m and Duplantis won by virtue of 6 meters cleanly on his first try while Karalis made it on his third attempt.

Kovacs, who placed fourth in the U.S. Championships, won the Diamond League crown in the men’s shot put for the third time. Kovacs had the two longest throws of the competition and his 22.46m (73-8.25) won it. Fellow American Payton Otterdahl was the only other thrower to go beyond 22 meters and he finished with 22.07m (72-5).

Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers had no misses and cleared six bars to win the women’s high jump with a national record and world leading height of 2.04m (6-8.25). Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh was second with 2.02m.

Katie Moon won her second Diamond League title in the women’s pole vault and scaled a height of 4.82m (15-9.75) to separate from fellow Americans Sandi Morris and Emily Grove, who finished second and third with matching clearances at 4.75m (15-7).

In the women’s shot put, Jessica Schilder of The Netherlands took the victory ahead of American world-leader Chase Jackson and Canada’s Sarah Mitton. 

It was a somewhat controversial result. Mitton was credited with a big mark of 20.67m (67-9.75) but it was subsequently called a foul by officials.

Schilder threw 20.26 meters (66-5.75) on her fourth round throw to take the lead from Jackson, who launched 20.08m (65-10.50) on her second try. Jackson fouled on her fifth and sixth attempts. 

Mitton finished with 19.99m (65-7). Jaida Ross finished fourth with 19.26m (63-2.25). 

Hometown hero Simon Ehammer of Switzerland won the men’s long jump by two centimeters, 8.32m (27-3.75) to 8.30m (27-2.75), over Italy’s Mattia Furlani. It was Ehammer’s second Diamond League trophy. 

The second day of the Diamond League final at the Zurich Weltklasse is Thursday and the weather forecast indicates the racing on the track could be impacted by rain.