LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND, August 20 — This year the rains came to Athletissima and almost stole the show: scenes like Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh calling it quits after two tries (and two misses) in the high jump, or former world champ Tajay Gayle helping officials in mid-competition pry up the long jump board and bail out the accumulating water with his bare hands, or the women’s vault, where they cut the comp short before they were done with the second height.
Yet some thrived in the downpour, none more so than Cordell Tinch and Oblique Seville.
In the high hurdles, Tinch faced a relatively light rain. With temperatures at 65F (18C) and dropping, he didn’t get out as well as Trey Cunningham, but he caught him at hurdle 4 and then ran away with it all. His clocking of 12.98 with a 0.3 wind marked an impressively dominant performance. Jamal Britt came up for 2nd in 13.13, with Cunningham at 13.19.
“I felt great through the warmup,” said Tinch. “This is my kind of weather.”
The 100, the final individual event of the night, was run in driving cold rain. That context helps in assessing the stunning performance of Jamaica’s Seville. Disappointed with his Olympic race, where a cramp kept him from hitting top speed, here he blasted out of the blocks, taking command promptly. He kept the pressure on and the late-race charge from Paris champion Noah Lyles had no effect.
Seville crossed in 9.87, into a 0.3 wind. A well-beaten Lyles (“I just had a horrible reaction to the gun”) narrowly nipped Ackeem Blake at the line as both clocked 10.02 ahead of Akani Simbine’s 10.05.
Said the victor: “Running 9.87 in those conditions shows I can go much faster, anywhere in the world. That’s a good time. I’ve beaten the Olympic champion twice, in London and here, and that gives me a lot of confidence heading into the championships. It’s been a while since a Jamaican man has won the 100m at a global championship. I believe I can be the one to do it.” Seville is correct. Time flies. Usain Bolt’s ’16 Rio Olympics gold was the last to go to a Jamaican 100 man.
Some of the hardest rain fell during the men’s 5000, which understandably became tactical. After a 7:54.25 opening 3000, the field bunched badly with 1400 to go, boxing in Grant Fisher. Not until the last lap did the American get free, moving to 2nd with 300 to go. Hagos Gebrhiwet went past and Fisher chased him around the final curve. Just as he was ready to take the lead, Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli flew past them both with a powerful kick that Fisher couldn’t match. Kimeli clocked 13:07.67 to Fisher’s 13:08.51.
Josh Hoey found what he was looking for in the 800, a convincing win over Emmanuel Wanyonyi. If he can do the same in Zürich, he’ll get to compete in Tokyo. The rabbit hit the first lap in 49.24 before turning the race over to Wanyonyi. On the backstretch, Marco Arop charged to the fore, followed by Max Burgin. It wasn’t until the final straight that Hoey moved, with a solid sprint that landed him a 1:42.82 win, with Wanyonyi at 1:43.29. Said Hoey, “It felt like being a kid again, playing in the rain. I’ve never raced in anything like this before.”
In the 400H Trevor Bassitt showed a return to form and led until the final hurdle, where Nathaniel Ezekiel tagged him to take a 48.08–48.14 win.
Keely Hodgkinson highlighted the women’s track action with another fast 800. She followed pacer Eveline Saalberg for 500, hitting 56.4 and 1:25.6, then ran away from Prudence Sekgodiso on the last turn. The result was a meet record 1:55.69. Local fave Audrey Werro ran 2nd in 1:57.34, ahead of Georgia Hunter Bell at 1:57.55. Said Hodgkinson, “When the pace goes like that, you just forget about everyone else: and it paid off with a solid performance.”
In her first European race, Doris Lemngole showed she’s more than ready for prime time. With times of course slowed by the downpour (and the lack of rabbit), she ran away from the steeple field to win in 9:16.36 after having margins as big as 30m over the field in the final laps. “Running alone in the rain was tough,” said Alabama’s CR-setting NCAA titlist. Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew ran 2nd in 9:20.39, with Notre Dame alum Olivia Markezich impressing with her 3rd-place 9:20.73.
In the 200, Brittany Brown held off challenges, including a final stretch drive from Favour Ofili, to win 22.23–22.31. Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith followed in 22.37, ahead of Marileidy Paulino’s 22.43. In the earlier 400, Norway’s Henriette Jæger got the win in 50.09 over Lieke Klaver (50.17), Isabella Whittaker (50.63) and Alexis Holmes (50.73). World leader Salwa Eid Naser only managed 5th in 51.08.
Fresh off a Dutch Record 12.28 last week, Nadine Visser is beginning to look like a real podium threat in the hurdles. Here, Olympic champion Masai Russell got out best but ran into trouble. Visser took control mid-race and grabbed the win in 12.45, with the American recovering for a 12.53.
As one would expect, the field eventers had a bit more difficulty with the rain. It wasn’t so bad for the men’s shot, early in the schedule. Joe Kovacs jumped from 3rd to the lead with his fifth-round 72-3¾ (22.04). That beat Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, who threw 71-5¼ (21.77) and Tripp Piperi at 70-6¼ (21.49).
The men’s long jump had serious precipitation issues. Anvar Anvarov of Uzbekistan won with his opening 25-8¾ (7.84) to best Simon Ehammer’s 25-4 (7.72). Gayle only got 3rd at 25-3½ (7.71). The rest of the top 3 quit after the board bailing episode and Gayle’s final leap of 21-3½ (6.49) looked like it might have hurt him.
The women’s high jump, after Mahuchikh’s withdrawal, turned into a 3-way tie at 6-3¼ (1.91) for Germany’s Christina Honsel, Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers and Poland’s Maria Żodzik. Serbia’s Adriana Vilagoš won the javelin with her 206-9 (63.02).
LAUSANNE MEN’S RESULTS
100(-0.3): 1. Oblique Seville (Jam) 9.87; 2. Noah Lyles (US) 10.02; 3. Ackeem Blake (Jam) 10.02; 4. Akani Simbine (SA) 10.05; 5. Zharnel Hughes (GB) 10.09; 6. Brandon Hicklin (US) 10.20; 7. Courtney Lindsey (US) 10.27.
800: 1. Josh Hoey (US) 1:42.82; 2. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Ken) 1:43.29; 3. Mohamed Attaoui (Spa) 1:43.38; 4. Max Burgin (GB) 1:43.44; 5. Marco Arop (Can) 1:43.91; 6. Tshepiso Masalela (Bot) 1:44.51; 7. Yanis Meziane (Fra) 1:44.77; 8. Ivan Pelizza (Swi) 1:45.52; 9. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:48.18;… rabbit—Guy Learmonth (GB) (49.24).
5000: 1. Isaac Kimeli (Bel) 13:07.67; 2. Grant Fisher (US) 13:08.51; 3. Eduardo Herrera (Mex) 13:09.50; 4. Samuel Tefera (Eth) 13:09.80; 5. Ishmael Kipkurui (Ken) 13:09.82; 6. Edwin Kurgat (Ken) 13:09.91; 7. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Eth) 13:10.08; 8. Graham Blanks (US) 13:12.94; 9. Abdisa Fayisa (Eth) 13:13.16 PR; 10. Denis Kemboi (Ken) 13:13.97.
110H(0.3): 1. Cordell Tinch (US) 12.98; 2. Jamal Britt (US) 13.13; 3. Trey Cunningham (US) 13.19; 4. Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli (Ita) 13.21; 5. Just Kwaou-Mathey (Fra) 13.25; 6. Jason Joseph (Swi) 13.28; 7. Dylan Beard (US) 13.30.
Non-DL 400H: 1. Nathaniel Ezekiel (Ngr) 48.08; 2. Trevor Bassitt (US) 48.14; 3. Matic Ian Guček (Slo) 49.23; 4. Berke Akçam (Tur) 49.48; 5. Alastair Chalmers (GB) 49.92.
Field Events
PV(street): 1. Emmanouíl Karalís (Gre) 19-9 (6.02); 2. tie, Thibaut Collet (Fra) & Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 19-1 (5.82); 4. Ersu Şaşma (Tur) 19-1; 5. Menno Vloon (Neth) 19-1; 6. Sam Kendricks (US) 18-9¼ (5.72); 7. tie, Ben Broeders (Bel) & Austin Miller (US) 18-5¼ (5.62); 9. Sondre Guttormsen (Nor) 17-9¼ (5.42);… nh—Kurtis Marschall (Aus).
LJ: 1. Anvar Anvarov (Uzb) 25-8¾ (7.84); 2. Simon Ehammer (Swi) 25-4 (7.72); 3. Tajay Gayle (Jam) 25-3½ (7.71); 4. Carey McLeod (Jam) 25-2 (7.67); 5. Wayne Pinnock (Jam) 24-11¾ (7.61); 6. Mattia Furlani (Ita) 24-11¼ (7.60); 7. Miltiádis Tentóglou (Gre) 24-8¼ (7.52).
SP: 1. Joe Kovacs (US) 72-3¾ (22.04); 2. Leonardo Fabbri (Ita) 71-5¼ (21.77); 3. Tripp Piperi (US) 70-6¼ (21.49); 4. Tom Walsh (NZ) 70-5¼ (21.47); 5. Roger Steen (US) 69-9¾ (21.28); 6. Payton Otterdahl (US) 69-8¼ (21.24); 7. Chuk Enekwechi (Ngr) 69-6¼ (21.19); 8. Rajindra Campbell (Jam) 68-10¾ (21.00); 9. Josh Awotunde (US) 66-1½ (20.15).
LAUSANNE WOMEN’S RESULTS
200(-0.5): 1. Brittany Brown (US) 22.23; 2. Favour Ofili (Ngr) 22.31; 3. Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith (CI) 22.37; 4. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 22.43; 5. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 22.64; 6. McKenzie Long (US) 22.69; 7. Daryll Neita (GB) 22.73.
400: 1. Henriette Jæger (Nor) 50.09; 2. Lieke Klaver (Neth) 50.17; 3. Isabella Whittaker (US) 50.63; 4. Alexis Holmes (US) 50.73; 5. Salwa Eid Naser (Bhr) 51.08; 6. Natalia Bukowiecka (Pol) 51.19; 7. Britton Wilson (US) 51.69.
800: 1. Keely Hodgkinson (GB) 1:55.69; 2. Audrey Werro (Swi) 1:57.34; 3. Georgia Hunter Bell (GB) 1:57.55; 4. Anaïs Bourgoin (Fra) 1:58.43; 5. Oratile Nowe (Bot) 1:58.63; 6. Prudence Sekgodiso (SA) 1:58.76;… 9. Addy Wiley (US) 1:59.64.
St: 1. Doris Lemngole (Ken) 9:16.36; 2. Sembo Almayew (Eth) 9:20.39; 3. Olivia Markezich (US) 9:20.73; 4. Elise Thorner (GB) 9:21.74; 5. Courtney Wayment (US) 9:26.89;… 10. Gabrielle Jennings (US) 9:51.03.
100H(-0.5): 1. Nadine Visser (Neth) 12.45; 2. Masai Russell (US) 12.53; 3. Ditaji Kambundji (Swi) 12.54; 4. Ackera Nugent (Jam) 12.57; 5. Tobi Amusan (Ngr) 12.82; 6. Alaysha Johnson (US) 12.94; 7. Megan Tapper (Jam) 13.06; 8. Keni Harrison (US) 13.20.
Field Events
HJ: 1. tie, Maria Żodzik (Pol), Christina Honsel (Ger) & Nicola Olyslagers (Aus) 6-3¼ (1.91); 4. Eleanor Patterson (Aus) 6-3¼; 5. Morgan Lake (GB) 6-1¼ (1.86); 6. tie, Angelina Topić (Ser), Imke Onnen (Ger) & Yuliya Levchenko (Ukr) 6-1¼;… nh—Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukr).
JT: 1. Adriana Vilagoš (Ser) 206-9 (63.02); 2. Jo-Ané Du Plessis (SA) 193-2 (58.89); 3. Elína Tzénggo (Gre) 193-0 (58.82); 4. Sigrid Borge (Nor) 190-7 (58.10); 5. Mackenzie Little (Aus) 184-2 (56.15); 6. Maria Andrejczyk (Pol) 179-6 (54.71);… 10. Haruka Kitaguchi (Jpn) 167-1 (50.93).
