Australia’s two-time world indoor champion Nicola Olyslagers improved her own Oceanian record to 2.04m to win a thrilling high jump battle on the first day of the Wanda Diamond League Final in Zurich on Wednesday (27).
The record-breaking action took place on the Sechseläutenplatz as part of the two-day Weltklasse Zürich, where Diamond Trophies, prize money and wild card entries to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 are up for grabs.
Ukraine’s world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh had won the past three Diamond League women’s high jump titles and started as the world leader. While she still managed to match her previous world-leading mark, that 2.02m clearance wasn’t enough for the Olympic and world champion to clinch another crown this time and she settled for second place, while Great Britain’s Morgan Lake and Ukraine’s Yuliia Levchenko both cleared 2.00m – a national record for Lake, who placed third on countback.
Olyslagers entered the contest at 1.91m and cleared each height up to her winning mark on her first attempts. Mahuchikh needed two tries at 2.02m and after watching her rival soar clear at 2.04m, she decided to skip straight to 2.06m. Olyslagers was confirmed the champion when Mahuchikh’s three attempts were unsuccessful.
There was also a brilliant battle in the men’s pole vault and while Mondo Duplantis and Emmanouil Karalis may not have hit the heights they might have hoped for, they captivated the crowd with their rivalry up to attempting 6.10m.
Sweden’s Duplantis, who raised his world record to 6.29m in Budapest two weeks ago, opened his campaign at 5.50m and managed that, 5.80m, 5.90m and 6.00m on his first attempts. After clearing 5.65m and 5.90m first time, Olympic bronze medallist Karalis needed all three tries at 6.00m. He rattled the bar on his third attempt but it stayed up, keeping the contest alive.
Karalis was first to try 6.10m – a mark that would have added two centimetres to the Greek record he set at the start of the month – but he knocked off the bar, as did Duplantis, who clinched his fifth consecutive Diamond League crown when they both failed their next two tries. USA’s Sam Kendricks finished third on 5.80m.
Just two centimetres separated the top two in the men’s long jump and Simon Ehammer delighted the home crowd by soaring to the title.
Simon Ehammer in action in Zurich (© Chiara Montesano / Diamond League AG)
The 2024 world indoor heptathlon champion regained the crown following his first Diamond League Final victory in 2023, leaping 8.32m in the third round. Italy’s world indoor champion Mattia Furlani responded with 8.30m in the fifth round but he was unable to go any farther with his final attempt. Australia’s Liam Adcock was just six centimetres behind that mark with 8.24m in the final round and finished third.
USA’s two-time world champion Joe Kovacs rebounded after missing out on a place for the World Championships in Tokyo by winning his fourth Diamond League title.
He led the contest with 22.10m from the second round and then improved to 22.46m from his fourth throw – just two centimetres off his season’s best – to beat his compatriot Payton Otterdahl, who threw 22.07m, and Jamaica’s Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell, who managed 21.87m.
Jessica Schilder secured her first Diamond Trophy, prevailing in a clash with Chase Jackson and Sarah Mitton.
Canada’s two-time world indoor champion Mitton was initially declared the winner, following a 20.67m throw – the third-best mark of her career – from the second round. But it was later judged to be a foul and Schilder moved up into top spot thanks to the 20.26m the Dutch 2022 world bronze medallist managed in the fourth round.
USA’s two-time world champion Jackson managed 20.08m from one of her two valid marks to place second, while Mitton was third with 19.99m in the final round.
USA’s Katie Moon kicked off the first day of finals by regaining a Diamond League title she first won in 2023. The two-time world champion cleared 4.82m on her first attempt and secured victory when her compatriot Sandi Morris was unable to make it over either 4.82m or 4.89m – Morris skipping straight to the higher bar after a single failure at 4.82m.
Moon also tried 4.89m once and then passed to 4.90m. Her competition came to an end when she knocked off the bar on both her attempts. It was a US top three, as Emily Grove equalled her PB to finish third on countback on 4.75m.
The competition continues on Thursday (28), when a further 26 Diamond League titles will be decided.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Results