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 on Friday. Mitton, 30 years old, made a remarkable throw of 20.64 meters on her initial attempt, placing her behind American athlete Chase Jackson.
Jackson, aged 32, clinched her third Diamond League Final victory with a top throw of 21.14 meters, setting new American, Diamond League, and meet records along with a world-leading mark. Despite her success, Jackson also exceeded her personal best distance by 0.012 meters.
Expressing her feelings, Mitton acknowledged Jackson’s exceptional performance by stating, “How can you be upset to lose to one of the best throws since 2013?” She highlighted the recent growth in shot put performance, mentioning the achievement of two athletes surpassing the 21-meter mark in the past four months. Mitton expressed confidence in her own potential to reach the 21-meter milestone.
World champion Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands secured the third position with a throw of 20.57 meters on her third attempt. Mitton, who had previously defended her Commonwealth Games title in July, aimed to claim her second Diamond League Trophy in three years, following a disputed victory last year.
In the men’s 800m race, Edmonton’s Marco Arop initially held the second position but slipped to fourth place with a time of 1 minute 43.50 seconds. The race was won by Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi from Kenya 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. The race was dominated by Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred in first place with 21.79 seconds, followed by Kayla White from the USA in second with 22.00 seconds, and Amy Hunt from Great Britain in third with 22.16 seconds.
Jamaica’s Oblique Seville emerged victorious in the men’s 100m race with a swift time of 9.90 seconds, ahead of Emmanuel Eseme from Cameroon (9.93) and Kayinsola Ajayi from Nigeria (9.97).
The men’s pole vault competition faced a setback as Swedish athlete Armand Duplantis withdrew without disclosing the reason, allowing Emmanouil Karalis from Greece to claim victory. Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse was also absent from the event due to a prior commitment, focusing on the Ultimate Championship as confirmed by Athletics Canada.