Athletics Insight: Action-packed track and field competition at London Diamond League

Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney is still battling injury and using a shortened run-up before the Paris Olympics. Photo / NZME

The London Diamond League last Saturday was track and field at its best.

An action-packed three-hour programme, including area, national and meet records and world-leading performances, thrilled a sell-out crowd of 60,000.

The early-morning start from Scotland, the struggle to cross London, to depositing a large suitcase at left luggage on a humid day — many degrees cooler than at the start of the journey north of the border — proved to be well worth the effort. I joined the largest one-day athletic crowd in the world this year at the 2012 London Stadium, now home to West Ham United.

There were two area records, four world-leading performances, seven meeting records and 12 national records, with countless personal bests and many season’s bests contributing to a memorable celebration of track and field.

Last week I indicated that, as a former 800m runner, I was especially looking forward to the women’s 800m — I was not disappointed. Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, a silver medal winner at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and also at the world championships in Budapest last year, has become firm favourite for Paris. Last year in London, Hodgkinson was a late withdrawal just before the race, allowing her British teammate Jemma Reekie (Scotland) to win with an impressive performance.

Hodgkinson will have shortened her odds in Paris after stopping the clock at 1m 54.61s on Saturday for a world-leading performance, a meeting and national record, going to No 6 in the world All Time list and recording the fastest women’s 800m in six years. Reekie, in second place at 1m 56.90s, set a personal best, with Georgia Bell also setting a personal best for a British trifecta, loudly supported by the huge home crowd. Laura Muir was the fourth Brit in the loaded field finishing with a season best for sixth place, which shows she is in good shape for the Paris 1500m.

This was followed by another Brit, Matthew Hudson-Smith, setting a world-leading mark in the 400m and an area record with an outstanding 43.74s that should worry the American and other one-lap hopefuls in Paris.

A further British record and world-leading mark was set by the women’s 4 x 100m relay team, performances that Team GB hope can be repeated or improved on at the Paris Olympics.

New Zealand athletes may have had mixed fortunes, but there is no doubting that high jumper Hamish Kerr is in great form. His win in London backed up his victory in Monaco to make it two Diamond League wins in a row. Kerr cleared all heights on his first attempt, winning at 2.30m. All his jumps were flawless and, having won and with the Olympics only days away, he chose “to keep his powder dry” and can reflect on a clear series of jumps to add to the two Diamond League wins and the world indoor title earlier this year.

Tom Walsh wisely retired from the shot after three rounds and looked to be carrying an injury suffered after his opening trial. The event was won by Italian Leonardo Fabbri (current world leader) who defeated world record holder American Ryan Crouser (22.52m, 22.37m). Jacko Gill was fifth and Walsh sixth in the loaded field.

Eliza McCartney, still battling injury and still off a shortened 12-stride run-up, finished fifth in the pole vault clearing 4.65m, which was the same height as world indoor champion Molly Caudery (Great Britain) who finished third. The event was won by Nina Kennedy who was one of three Australian winners at a successful meet for them on the eve of the Olympics. Oliver Hoare won in the Emsley Carr Mile (3m 48.03s) with teammate Stewart McSweyn in fifth (3m 49.59s) and Cameron Myers sixth (3m 50.16s, impressive from an 18-year-old). Australia had a pre-Olympic confidence lift by finishing fourth in the 4 x 100m with an Oceania record. The other Australian win came from Mackenzie Little in the javelin with 66.67m. Cooks Gardens record holder and reigning New Zealand champion Tori Peeters finished fifth, unable to build on her promising opening round throw of 60.38m.

Another world-leading performance came from Nickisha Pryce (Jamaica) in the women’s 400m, a performance that also set a Jamaican record and one of the many meet records. Noah Lyles impressed winning the 100m in 9.81s into a slight headwind. As with last year, I was hugely impressed with Femke Bol (Netherlands) in the 400m hurdles with a wonderfully fluid 51.30m.

If London was the entree, I can’t wait for the Olympic main course.

It looks like there will be many hours in front of the TV on my return home next week.