Monaco Full Wrap-Up: Jairus Birech Wins Again in Steeple, Justin Gatlin 19.68 Into a Headwind and Torie Bowie 10.80 WL
By LetsRun.com
July 18, 2014
The Herculis Monaco Diamond League meet is always one of the highlights of the track and field year and the 2014 edition was no exception. There was an American record in the women’s 5,000, the deepest men’s 1,500 race of all time, five men under 1:43 in the 800 and a world leader for Ajee Wilson in the women’s 800. We’ve recapped those events separately and give you the highlights from the rest of the meet below, including wins for Jairus Birech in the steeplechase and Bohdan Bondarenko in the high jump and world leaders for Justin Gatlin and Tori Bowie in sprints.
Men’s 3,000 steeplechase: Birech wins again as Jager struggles over the final lap
Kenya’s Jairus Birech continued his domination in the steeplechase Friday, winning his fourth straight DL steeple to clinch the Diamond Race title. The race followed a similar script, with Birech breaking away early and the field unable to respond. American Evan Jager, who seemed poised to take a run at the American record coming in, faded badly over the last lap and was just sixth in 8:15.49.
The Race
This one went out very fast as rabbit Haron Lagat led Birech through 1k in 2:37.16 (7:51 pace; the world record is 7:53). Behind Lagat, second rabbit Clement Kemboi and Birech, there was a gap to Conseslus Kipruto and Jager in second and third roughly four seconds back and then a gap to the rest of the field. After Lagat dropped out, Birech wanted to keep pressing and passed Kemboi, who was not running fast enough to satisfy Birech. The pace slowed over the second kilometer (run in 2:42) as Birech hit 2k at 5:19.61, still (barely) on sub-8:00 pace. Four or five seconds behind Birech, Kipruto and Jager still had gap on fourth-place Hillary Yego.
All alone and starting to feel the effects of the blazing first kilometer, Birech continued to slow (2:44 last k) and was denied his first sub-8:00 clocking but still had plenty of room on the field, winning in 8:03.33. With a lap to go, Kipruto and Jager were in a battle for second but Yego passed Jager on the backstretch and the American endured a rough final 200, getting passed by Canadian Matt Hughes and Kenyan Bernard Nganga to fade all the way to sixth (Jager ran a 70-second last lap). Jager’s training partner Dan Huling, who challenged Jager at USAs, also had a rough day and was just 12th in 8:24.04.
Quick Take #1: Birech could learn something from Emma Coburn.
Birech is in a similar situation to Coburn in that he’s much better than the rest of the field (though there’s no Hiwot Ayalew-type for him to battle over the final lap) and tries to break everyone early. But unlike Coburn, who does her best to run relatively even splits, Birech went out on world record pace through 1k and paid for it as he finished in 8:03. If Birech had tried to split even 2:40 kilometers, he likely would have been able to break 8:00 (or at least better his 8:02.37 PR). As it was, he was impatient early on and that cost him any shot at a really fast time.
Quick Take #2: Was this just a hiccup for Evan Jager or something more serious?
Coming in we thought that Jager had a great chance to break his American record as he ran 8:06 in Oslo a month ago. But after giving up three places on the last lap and running just 8:15 in Monaco, we’re a little concerned. Jager didn’t pull away at USAs until the final water jump and now he’s run poorly in Monaco. Still, it’s been a long time since Jager has had a bad race and even the greats have an off day every now and then. Expect him to run well his next time out, wherever that may be.
Quick Take #3: The steeple is very weak this year
With Ezekiel Kemboi, winner of the last four global titles, finishing just one race in 2014 and Conseslus Kipruto injured for the first half of the season, there has been no one to push Birech in Diamond League races. Kipruto improved on his opener here (8:11 in Lausanne, 8:09 in Monaco) but he’s not back to the form that saw him take silver at Worlds last year. Right now Birech’s world-leading time is 8:02.37, which if it holds up would be the slowest world leader since 2000.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
KEN
|
8:03.33
|
16
|
1
|
 |
||
|
2
|
KEN
|
8:09.81
|
SB
|
4
|
2
|
||
|
3
|
KEN
|
8:10.23
|
2
|
6
|
|||
|
4
|
CAN
|
8:12.81
|
SB
|
||||
|
5
|
KEN
|
8:15.01
|
SB
|
||||
|
6
|
USA
|
8:15.49
|
2
|
6
|
|||
|
7
|
KEN
|
8:18.29
|
3
|
4
|
|||
|
8
|
MAR
|
8:19.19
|
|||||
|
9
|
ESP
|
8:20.08
|
|||||
|
10
|
KEN
|
8:21.49
|
3
|
4
|
|||
|
11
|
KEN
|
8:23.53
|
|||||
|
12
|
USA
|
8:24.04
|
|||||
|
13
|
BRN
|
8:26.79
|
|||||
|
14
|
FRA
|
8:44.54
|
|||||
|
KEN
|
DNF
|
||||||
|
KEN
|
DNF
|
||||||
|
FRA
|
DNF
|
||||||
Gatlin was pumped after a big PR
Men’s 200
Justin Gatlin became the eighth-fastest 200 runner of all time, posting a dominant 19.68 into a headwind to win in Monaco. Tyson Gay’s return to the 200 didn’t go as smoothly as his return to the 100 as he was fourth in 20.22. Gatlin, who served a four-year drug ban from 2006 to 2010, is running better than ever at age 32 — prior to Friday he had never broken 20 seconds for the 200 and now he’s at 19.68.
Discuss this race in our messageboard: Check out the Monaco 200m (men) – – MOST INTERESTING sprint lineup of 2014 !.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | REACTION TIME | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
USA
|
19.68
|
WL,MR
|
0.159
|
4
|
4
|
||
|
2
|
JAM
|
19.99
|
0.156
|
10
|
1
|
|
||
|
3
|
FRA
|
20.08
|
SB
|
0.156
|
4
|
4
|
||
|
4
|
USA
|
20.22
|
0.135
|
|||||
|
5
|
USA
|
20.28
|
0.188
|
1
|
6
|
|||
|
6
|
USA
|
20.37
|
0.187
|
|||||
|
7
|
JAM
|
20.48
|
0.207
|
|||||
|
8
|
USA
|
20.67
|
0.153
|
|||||
Women’s 100
Tori Bowie was fantastic over the last 30 meters as she pulled away to win in a big lifetime pb of 10.80, a new world leader (previous pb of 10.91). Six of the eight women in the field set season bests.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | REACTION TIME | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
USA
|
10.80
|
WL
|
0.133
|
12
|
1
|
|
|
|
2
|
JAM
|
10.96
|
0.140
|
2
|
6
|
|||
|
3
|
CIV
|
10.97
|
SB
|
0.153
|
3
|
4
|
||
|
4
|
NGR
|
10.97
|
SB
|
0.151
|
2
|
6
|
||
|
5
|
USA
|
11.01
|
SB
|
0.148
|
||||
|
6
|
JAM
|
11.01
|
SB
|
0.165
|
4
|
2
|
||
|
7
|
FRA
|
11.03
|
PB
|
0.158
|
||||
|
8
|
FRA
|
11.39
|
0.153
|
|||||
Martinot-Lagarde could not believe the time
Men’s 110 hurdles
Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde clinched the Diamond Race title and became the 17th member of the sub-13 club as he set a national record for the win. He was pushed the limit by Cuba’s Orlando Ortego (13.01) as world record holder Aries Merritt was only seventh in 13.47 in his first race since May 3.
The best part of the race may have been his reaction afterwards (see to the right).
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | REACTION TIME | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
FRA
|
12.95
|
NR
|
0.162
|
19
|
1
|
|
|
|
2
|
CUB
|
13.01
|
PB
|
0.158
|
2
|
6
|
||
|
3
|
RUS
|
13.14
|
0.156
|
6
|
2
|
|||
|
4
|
USA
|
13.18
|
=SB
|
0.160
|
||||
|
5
|
JAM
|
13.19
|
SB
|
0.151
|
3
|
5
|
||
|
6
|
USA
|
13.38
|
0.143
|
6
|
2
|
|||
|
7
|
USA
|
13.47
|
SB
|
0.157
|
||||
|
8
|
FRA
|
13.61
|
0.154
|
|||||
Men’s 400
With no Kirani James, American LaShawn Merritt returned to winning ways in the men’s 400, pulling away from U.S. champ Gil Roberts to win in 44.30.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | REACTION TIME | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
USA
|
44.30
|
0.202
|
18
|
1
|
|
||
|
2
|
USA
|
44.62
|
0.149
|
2
|
4
|
|||
|
3
|
BOT
|
44.90
|
0.183
|
1
|
6
|
|||
|
4
|
USA
|
44.92
|
=SB
|
0.157
|
||||
|
5
|
DOM
|
44.97
|
0.159
|
|||||
|
6
|
GBR
|
45.53
|
0.232
|
|||||
|
7
|
BEL
|
45.60
|
0.166
|
|||||
|
8
|
FRA
|
45.87
|
0.189
|
|||||
Women’s 400 hurdles
Jamaican Kaliese Spencer got her fourth straight Diamond League win and locked up the Diamond Race title, crossing in 54.09 in front of American Georganne Moline. Defending world champ Zuzana Hejnova, who returned from injury to make her season debut here, finished a well-beaten seventh in 55.86.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | REACTION TIME | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
JAM
|
54.09
|
0.173
|
18
|
1
|
|
||
|
2
|
USA
|
54.73
|
0.183
|
4
|
3
|
|||
|
3
|
USA
|
55.07
|
0.231
|
1
|
6
|
|||
|
4
|
UKR
|
55.24
|
0.190
|
|||||
|
5
|
RSA
|
55.29
|
0.200
|
|||||
|
6
|
BRN
|
55.38
|
0.178
|
6
|
2
|
|||
|
7
|
CZE
|
55.86
|
0.158
|
|||||
|
8
|
USA
|
55.94
|
0.150
|
2
|
5
|
|||
Bondarenko almost cleared 2.43
Men’s high jump
The men’s high jump is crazy deep but there’s one man who’s undoubtedly the best in the world right now: Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko, the defending world champ who cleared 2.40 meters to win his third straight DL meet. Bondarenko has lost just twice in his past 23 competitions dating back to the start of 2013.
Both Bondarenko and runner-up Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar took attempts at 2.43 meters (which would have given them sole possession of second place on the all-time list) and each came extremely close. Barshim got his back over the bar but dislodged it with the underside of his thigh while Bondarenko just missed on his first attempt at the height.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | 2.20 2.43 |
2.25 | 2.30 | 2.34 | 2.37 | 2.40 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
UKR
|
2.40
|
MR
|
14
|
1
|
|
–
xxx |
xo
|
–
|
o
|
–
|
o
|
||
|
2
|
QAT
|
2.37
|
8
|
2
|
o
x |
o
|
o
|
o
|
o
|
xx-
|
||||
|
3
|
RUS
|
2.34
|
6
|
3
|
–
|
xo
|
–
|
o
|
x-
|
xx
|
||||
|
4
|
USA
|
2.34
|
3
|
4
|
o
|
o
|
o
|
xxo
|
–
|
xxx
|
||||
|
5
|
CAN
|
2.34
|
2
|
6
|
o
|
o
|
xo
|
xxo
|
–
|
xxx
|
||||
|
6
|
UKR
|
2.34
|
3
|
4
|
o
|
o
|
xxo
|
xxo
|
xxx
|
|||||
|
7
|
ITA
|
2.30
|
PB
|
o
|
o
|
o
|
xxx
|
|||||||
|
8
|
JPN
|
2.30
|
o
|
o
|
xo
|
xxx
|
||||||||
|
9
|
CHN
|
2.30
|
xo
|
o
|
xo
|
xxx
|
||||||||
|
10
|
RUS
|
2.30
|
SB
|
xo
|
o
|
xxo
|
xxx
|
|||||||
Women’s shot put
Valerie Adams won again, her 52nd straight victory dating back to August 2010.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT WIND |
DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
NZL
|
20.38
|
20
|
1
|
|
19.71
|
20.38 |
20.30 |
x |
x |
20.34 |
|||
|
2
|
GER
|
19.54
|
4
|
2
|
18.87
|
x |
x |
18.76 |
19.26 |
19.54 |
||||
|
3
|
USA
|
19.05
|
4
|
2
|
x
|
18.41 |
19.05 |
18.15 |
18.44 |
x |
||||
|
4
|
TTO
|
18.96
|
1
|
6
|
18.96
|
18.65 |
18.65 |
18.46 |
18.78 |
18.57 |
||||
|
5
|
RUS
|
18.81
|
18.44
|
x |
18.81 |
x |
x |
x |
||||||
|
6
|
USA
|
18.79
|
18.30
|
18.79 |
17.39 |
x |
18.27 |
x | ||||||
Women’s triple jump
Like Adams, Colombia’s Caterine Ibarguen extended her winning streak to 17, this time with a massive 32-centimeter PR to go to #5 all-time.
| aRANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT WIND |
DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
COL
|
15.31
0.0 |
AR,WL,DLR, |
16
|
1
|
|
14.78
(+0.5) |
14.77 (+1.3) |
14.81 (+0.4) |
x (+0.9) |
x (-0.7) |
15.31 (0.0) |
||
|
2
|
RUS
|
14.89
+0.6 |
PB |
6
|
2
|
14.20
(+1.0) |
14.89 (+0.6) |
14.41 (+1.0) |
– |
14.16 (-0.3) |
14.50 (-0.2) |
|||
|
3
|
JAM
|
14.59
+1.2 |
SB |
6
|
2
|
14.07
(+0.7) |
14.28 (-0.1) |
14.59 (+1.2) |
14.26 (+1.1) |
14.25 (+0.1) |
14.11 (-0.4) |
|||
|
4
|
COL
|
14.58
+0.7 |
PB |
1
|
6
|
13.95
(+1.3) |
14.13 (-0.3) |
14.58 (+0.7) |
14.39 (+0.4) |
14.24 (+0.2) |
x (-0.2) |
|||
|
5
|
POR
|
14.34
+1.6 |
1
|
6
|
x
(+1.4) |
14.34 (+1.6) |
14.26 (+0.6) |
x (+0.4) |
14.02 (+0.9) |
13.93 (-0.3) |
||||
|
6
|
CUB
|
14.33
+0.8 |
1
|
6
|
14.20
(+0.6) |
14.33 (+0.8) |
13.77 (+0.5) |
13.81 (+0.1) |
x (+1.3) |
14.11 (-0.1) |
||||
|
7
|
RUS
|
14.11
+0.2 |
x
(+0.8) |
14.11 (+0.2) |
x (+0.2) |
14.03 (+0.3) |
14.07 (+0.5) |
13.99 (-0.2) |
||||||
|
8
|
CHN
|
13.62
+0.4 |
13.38
(+0.9) |
13.62 (+0.4) |
x (+0.4) |
13.59 (+0.2) |
13.48 (+1.0) |
13.30 (-0.1) |
||||||
Men’s discus
World silver medallist Piotr Malachowski got the win in 65.84.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT WIND |
DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
POL
|
65.84
|
16
|
1
|
|
x
|
63.84 |
65.84 |
65.32 |
65.45 |
65.68 |
|||
|
2
|
CUB
|
65.46
|
4
|
3
|
64.34
|
x |
x |
64.16 |
65.46 |
x |
||||
|
3
|
EST
|
64.98
|
SB |
3
|
4
|
63.38
|
63.55 |
63.68 |
62.96 |
64.98 |
63.16 |
|||
|
4
|
IRI
|
64.47
|
1
|
6
|
62.47
|
64.47 |
63.37 |
x |
62.25 |
63.57 |
||||
|
5
|
BEL
|
62.99
|
60.85
|
x |
62.81 |
61.97 |
62.35 |
62.99 |
||||||
|
6
|
POL
|
62.56
|
x
|
61.92 |
x |
62.01 |
x |
62.56 |
||||||
|
7
|
SWE
|
61.60
|
61.60
|
61.42 |
x |
x |
x |
61.37 |
||||||
|
8
|
AUS
|
61.25
|
59.75
|
x |
61.25 |
x |
60.89 |
x | ||||||
Women’s pole vault
Brazilian Fabiana Murer picked up her fourth straight DL win.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT | DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | 4.20 4.81 |
4.40 4.86 |
4.55 | 4.65 | 4.71 | 4.76 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
BRA
|
4.76
|
12
|
1
|
|
–
– |
–
xxx |
o
|
xo
|
–
|
o
|
|||
|
2
|
USA
|
4.71
|
=SB
|
4
|
3
|
–
xx |
–
|
o
|
xo
|
o
|
x-
|
|||
|
3
|
GRE
|
4.71
|
=NR
|
3
|
5
|
–
|
o
|
o
|
xxo
|
o
|
xxx
|
|||
|
4
|
GER
|
4.65
|
2
|
6
|
–
|
xo
|
o
|
o
|
x-
|
xx
|
||||
|
5
|
RUS
|
4.55
|
–
|
o
|
xo
|
xxx
|
||||||||
|
6
|
AUS
|
4.55
|
–
|
xo
|
xxo
|
xxx
|
||||||||
|
7
|
FRA
|
4.40
|
o
|
o
|
xxx
|
|||||||||
|
7
|
FRA
|
4.40
|
o
|
o
|
xxx
|
|||||||||
|
7
|
CUB
|
4.40
|
8
|
2
|
–
|
o
|
xxx
|
|||||||
|
10
|
SUI
|
4.40
|
o
|
xo
|
xxx
|
|||||||||
|
10
|
FRA
|
4.40
|
o
|
xo
|
xxx
|
|||||||||
|
12
|
GER
|
4.40
|
o
|
xxo
|
xxx
|
|||||||||
|
CZE
|
NM
|
–
|
xxx
|
|||||||||||
Women’s javelin
World record holder Barbora Spotakova got the win with a 66.96 on her second throw, though all five of her fair attempts were better than the second-place mark.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT WIND |
DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
CZE
|
66.96
|
SB |
12
|
1
|
|
64.84
|
66.96 |
x |
66.66 |
65.72 |
65.20 |
||
|
2
|
SLO
|
64.58
|
10
|
2
|
59.30
|
64.58 |
61.62 |
x |
x |
x |
||||
|
3
|
AUS
|
62.94
|
5
|
3
|
x
|
59.96 |
x |
60.19 |
62.94 |
59.93 |
||||
|
4
|
LAT
|
61.41
|
1
|
6
|
59.17
|
56.70 |
56.08 |
59.52 |
61.17 |
61.41 |
||||
|
5
|
GER
|
60.32
|
4
|
4
|
54.84
|
57.16 |
58.26 |
60.32 |
x |
56.76 |
||||
|
6
|
FRA
|
59.80
|
PB |
47.09
|
59.80 |
55.05 |
53.99 |
53.14 |
x |
|||||
|
7
|
USA
|
57.64
|
56.33
|
56.65 |
57.24 |
x |
57.64 |
57.64 |
||||||
|
8
|
JPN
|
56.52
|
53.61
|
56.52 |
54.12 |
55.41 |
x |
x | ||||||
Men’s long jump
Jinzhe Li of China got his second career Diamond League win. Li jumped 7.95 on his opening attempted and fouled his next four jumps before summoning an 8.09 on his final attempt.
| RANK | ATHLETE | NATION | RESULT WIND |
DIAMOND POINTS | DIAMOND RANKING | 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
CHN
|
8.09
+0.5 |
5
|
2
|
7.95
(+1.6) |
x (+0.1) |
x (-0.3) |
x (+0.2) |
x (+0.3) |
8.09 (+0.5) |
||||
|
2
|
NED
|
8.01
+0.9 |
3
|
4
|
7.99
(+0.8) |
7.62 (0.0) |
x (+0.1) |
– |
7.77 (-0.3) |
8.01 (+0.9) |
||||
|
3
|
MEX
|
8.00
+0.5 |
3
|
4
|
7.76
(+1.8) |
x (+0.5) |
x (+0.8) |
7.81 (0.0) |
7.99 (0.0) |
8.00 (+0.5) |
||||
|
4
|
GBR
|
7.94
0.0 |
7.63
(+0.1) |
7.94 (0.0) |
7.73 (+0.1) |
x (-0.1) |
7.77 (+0.6) |
7.89 (+0.3) |
||||||
|
5
|
RUS
|
7.93
+1.0 |
7.88
(0.0) |
7.93 (+1.0) |
7.93 (+0.5) |
– |
– |
– |
||||||
|
6
|
USA
|
7.88
-0.1 |
7.46
(+1.8) |
7.76 (+0.9) |
x (+0.5) |
7.76 (+0.1) |
7.88 (-0.1) |
7.86 (+1.3) |
||||||
|
7
|
USA
|
7.88
+0.6 |
2
|
6
|
7.43
(+0.4) |
7.65 (-0.9) |
7.52 (0.0) |
7.85 (-0.1) |
7.88 (+0.6) |
7.76 (0.0) |
||||
|
8
|
SWE
|
7.83
+0.1 |
7.79
(+0.1) |
7.66 (0.0) |
7.77 (+0.2) |
7.65 (+0.2) |
x (+0.3) |
7.83 (+0.1) |
||||||