Canada’s Sarah Mitton secured the second spot in the women’s shot put competition at the Diamond League Final held at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Mitton, aged 30, achieved her top throw on the first try, hitting a distance of 20.64 meters, placing behind American athlete Chase Jackson. Jackson, aged 32, clinched her third Diamond League Final victory with a remarkable throw of 21.14 meters, setting new American, Diamond League, and meet records, as well as a world-leading performance.
Jackson, a two-time world champion, surpassed her personal best by 0.012 meters to claim the win. Mitton gracefully acknowledged Jackson’s exceptional performance, stating, “How can you be upset to lose to one of the best throws since 2013?” She expressed optimism about the growth of shot put, noting the recent achievements of athletes surpassing the 21-meter mark. Mitton, who previously defended her Commonwealth Games title in July, aimed to secure her second Diamond League Trophy in three years after being stripped of the title last year due to a successful protest.
In the men’s 800m race, Edmonton’s Marco Arop initially held the second position but eventually dropped to fourth place with a time of 1:43.50. Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi from Kenya claimed the title in 1:41.40, followed by Djamel Sedjati of Algeria in second place with 1:42.71, and Frances Yanis Meziane in third with 1:42.87.
Audrey Leduc from Gatineau, Quebec, finished sixth in the women’s 200m event with a time of 22.95 seconds. Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred emerged victorious in 21.79 seconds, with Kayla White from the US ranking second in 22.00 seconds and Amy Hunt from Great Britain in third with 22.16 seconds.
In the men’s 100m sprint, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville claimed the top spot with a time of 9.90 seconds, followed by Emmanuel Eseme from Cameroon in second with 9.93 seconds, and Kayinsola Ajayi from Nigeria in third with 9.97 seconds.
The men’s pole vault event faced a setback as Swedish athlete Armand Duplantis withdrew from the competition for undisclosed reasons. Emmanouil Karalis from Greece emerged as the event winner. Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, who qualified for the men’s 200 meters in Belgium, was withdrawn from the competition due to personal commitments and a focus on the Ultimate Championship according to Athletics Canada.