Wightman, Lyles, & Fraser-Pryce Win Fast Battles of World Champs at 2022 Monaco Diamond League

By Jonathan Gault and Robert Johnson
August 10, 2022

The Herculis Monaco Diamond League produced one of the fastest nights of running in the 2022 season as there were meet records galore on the Mediterranean. World champions Noah Lyles (19.46) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.62) led the way as they prevailed in showdowns against fellow world champs Michael Norman and Shericka Jackson in the 200 and 100 meters, respectively. In the distance events, Faith Kipyegon came just .30 shy of the 1500m world record by running 3:50.37 (separate article here) while Burundi’s Thierry Ndikumwenayo (7:25.93) broke the Diamond League record in the 3,000m, just ahead of Grant Fisher, who set an American record of 7:28.48 in 3rd (separate article here).

Heather MacLean (3:58.89) and Elise Cranny (3:59.06) also became the 12th and 13th American women in the sub-4:00 club for 1500 while Sage Hurta (1:57.85) and Olivia Baker (1:58.05) continued their incredible seasons by PRing again in the 800 meters behind winner Natoya Goule (1:56.98). Full recap, results, and analysis below.

Women’s 800: Goule wins in a seasonal best 1:56.98

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Jamaica’s Natoya Goule was the class of the non-Diamond League women’s 800 as she won convincingly in a season’s best 1:56.98, some nice redemption for Goule who just missed out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games when Laura Muir nipped her at the line.

“I feel extremely proud because I finally dropped the time under (1:)57… It would be nice to get a PR this season, I know it is a bit challenging but I take it step by step,” said Goule who ran her 1:56.15 pb in Monaco in 2018.

American Sage Hurta broke 1:58 for the first time to take second in 1:57.85 (previous pb 1:58.30) with compatriot Olivia Baker just behind in a 1:58.05 pb (previous pb of 1:58.46). Abbey Caldwell, who was controversially left off the Australian 1500 Worlds team this year but won CG 1500 bronze, broke 2:00 for the first time in 5th (1:59.31).

Final

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Natoya GOULE 30 MAR 1991 JAM 1:56.98
2. Sage HURTA 23 JUN 1998 USA 1:57.85
3. Olivia BAKER 12 JUN 1996 USA 1:58.05
4. Jemma REEKIE 06 MAR 1998 GBR 1:58.68
5. Abbey CALDWELL 03 JUL 2001 AUS 1:59.31
6. Halimah NAKAAYI 16 OCT 1994 UGA 2:00.02
7. Linden HALL 20 JUN 1991 AUS 2:00.45
8. Agnès RAHAROLAHY 07 NOV 1992 FRA 2:02.25
  Kendra CHAMBERS 11 SEP 1990 USA DNF

Quick Take: It’s been quite a year for Sage Hurta and Olivia Baker

At the start of the year, neither Sage Hurta nor Olivia Baker had ever broken 2:00. Both owned pbs of 2:00.08.

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Both women have now broken 2:00 seven different times this year and each have run pbs in the 800 four times this year.

Men’s 1000: Jake Wightman Cracks Top Ten All-Time

The 1000 is an odd distance. One might think since it’s closer in distance to 800 than 1500 that it benefits the 800 men, but the reality is the opposite. Most pure 800 guys are scared to death of the 1000 so the advantage normally goes to the 1500 men and you saw that this evening in Monaco as 1500 world champ Jake Wightman got the win in a meet record 2:13.88 (#9 all-time) while Olympic and world 800 champ Emmanuel Korir finished last in 2:18.19.

Wightman at the finish

Erik Sowinski rabbitted this one out through 600 (51.0 and 1:17.7) before Canadian World Championships 800 bronze medallist Marco Arop took over as a 2nd rabbit/racer. Arop promised to keep things fast and then try to finish and that’s what he did as hit 800 in 1:45.46 and when he did he had 15 meters on Wightman (1:47.2), who had 15 meters on the rest of the field. Arop started to tire and Wightman came by him with about 25 meters to go as Arop held on for second in a national record 2:14.35.

American Clayton Murphy was best of the rest as he went from 10th at 800 (1:49.6) to third at the finish (2:15.73), just ahead of two-time Commonwealth Games 800 champ Wyclife Kinyamal (2:15.78). American teen Hobbs Kessler made his European Diamond League debut and finished 8th in 2:16.46.

If you are wondering what a good 1k time is, a messagebaord poster has found some equivalents on the WA scoring tables.

Wightman 2.13.88 ~= 800 1.43.95 = 1500 3.32.77
Murphy 2.15.73 = 1.45.35 = 3.35.87
Hobbs 2:16.46 ~= 1.45.92 = 3.37.11

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Jake WIGHTMAN 11 JUL 1994 GBR 2:13.88
2. Marco AROP 20 SEP 1998 CAN 2:14.35
3. Clayton MURPHY 26 FEB 1995 USA 2:15.73
4. Wyclife Kinyamal KISASY 02 JUL 1997 KEN 2:15.78
5. Bryce HOPPEL 05 SEP 1997 USA 2:15.99
6. Joshua THOMPSON 09 MAY 1993 USA 2:16.38
7. Luke MCCANN 12 MAR 1998 IRL 2:16.40
8. Hobbs KESSLER 15 MAR 2003 USA 2:16.46
9. Ferguson Cheruiyot ROTICH 30 NOV 1989 KEN 2:17.00
10. Tony VAN DIEPEN 17 APR 1996 NED 2:17.06
11. Benjamin ROBERT 04 JAN 1998 FRA 2:17.11
12. Emmanuel Kipkurui KORIR 15 JUN 1995 KEN 2:18.19
  Erik SOWINSKI 21 DEC 1989 USA DNF

Women’s steeple: Getachew gets first Diamond League win as Wayment breaks 9:10

Coming off a disappointing 8th-place finish at Worlds, Emma Coburn went to the front early and led through the first two kilometers, though the relatively slow pace (6:07 at 2k) meant that there were still six women up front, including Ethiopians Werkua Getachew (Worlds silver) and 2021 World U20 silver medalist Zerfe Wondemagegn, Commonwealth Games silver medalist Elizabeth Bird of Great Britain, and American Courtney Wayment.

Coburn still led by two meters over Getachew at the bell, but the Ethiopians separated from the pack over the last 200 with Getachew pulling away off the final barrier to win in 9:06.19. Wondemagegn was second in a 10-second pb of 9:06.63, while Bird edged a fading Coburn for third, 9:07.87 to 9:07.93. The time was a 10-second pb for Bird and her second British record of the year.

Wayment ran a pb of 9:09.91 for 6th to join Coburn and Courtney Frerichs as the only Americans ever under 9:10. Frerichs also ran here but was a disappointing 9th in 9:32.56.

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Werkuha GETACHEW 07 DEC 1995 ETH 9:06.19
2. Zerfe WONDEMAGEGN 26 OCT 2002 ETH 9:06.63
3. Elizabeth BIRD 04 OCT 1994 GBR 9:07.87
4. Emma COBURN 19 OCT 1990 USA 9:07.93
5. Jackline CHEPKOECH 03 OCT 2003 KEN 9:09.72
6. Courtney WAYMENT 04 AUG 1998 USA 9:09.91
7. Marwa BOUZAYANI 26 MAR 1997 TUN 9:22.22
8. Amy CASHIN 28 JUL 1994 AUS 9:24.19
9. Courtney FRERICHS 18 JAN 1993 USA 9:32.56
10. Daisy JEPKEMEI 13 FEB 1996 KAZ 9:37.83
11. Adva COHEN 24 MAR 1996 ISR 9:42.71
12. Irene SÁNCHEZ-ESCRIBANO 25 AUG 1992 ESP 9:43.36
13. Tatiane Raquel DA SILVA 10 JUN 1990 BRA 9:52.93
  Virginia NYAMBURA 20 JUL 1993 KEN DNF

Quick Take: Lizzie Bird’s post-collegiate improvement is amazing and she’s having a season for the ages

Bird ran her first British record of 9:19.46 on June 18th in Paris but then a different Brit, Aimee Pratt, lowered it twice at Worlds (most recently to 9:15.64), before Bird took it back today with a massive PB (in between Bird had run 9:17.79 to win CG silver last week). To improve 12+ seconds at age 27 is impressive.

But her overall post-collegiate improvement is even more impressive. In four years at Princeton and two post grad xc years at San Francisco , she never made the finals of NCAAs. She never was an All-American. Her steeple pb was 9:54. Now she’s an Olympic finalist with a 9:07 pb.

Quick Take: A step in the right direction for Coburn

Coburn came away frustrated and confused after her 9:16, 8th-place finish at Worlds as she believed she was much fitter than that. So for her to run a season’s best today and lead 2800 meters of a Diamond League was definitely a good sign. Coburn won’t be happy about getting outkicked for third by Bird, but this was an improvement from Eugene. If Coburn can continue to improve and get in a race where the first two kilometers go out a bit faster, she could even threaten her three-year-old personal best of 9:02.35.

Quick Take: What a year Courtney Wayment is having

Wayment began her 2021-22 track season by running a 5,000m pb of 15:15 in Boston back in December and now, nine months later, is still running personal bests, getting down to 9:09.91 in her Diamond League debut to move ahead of Colleen Quigley (9:10.27) and into #3 on the all-time US list.

This year Wayment has won an NCAA 5,000 title, an NCAA steeple title (while setting the NCAA record), made her first US team, made her first World Championship final, and now she’s broken 9:10. What a season by the BYU-turned-On athlete.

Sprints

Women’s 100: SAFP 10.62!!

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce stayed red hot as she never was threatened in this one which turned out to be one of the greatest women’s 100 races ever run. SAFP went wire-to-wire and won in 10.62 (+0.4) as Worlds silver medallist Shericka Jackson was second once again, in a pb of 10.71 (previous pb: 10.73) with Marie-Josee Ta Lou third in an African record 10.72. American Aleia Hobbs equalled her pb in 4th in 10.81. 10.72 and 10.81 are the best marks ever for third and fourth in a women’s 100.

Final, Wind: +0.4

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Shelly-Ann FRASER-PRYCE 27 DEC 1986 JAM 10.62
2. Shericka JACKSON 16 JUL 1994 JAM 10.71
3. Marie-Josée TA LOU 18 NOV 1988 CIV 10.72
4. Aleia HOBBS 24 FEB 1996 USA 10.81
5. Twanisha TERRY 24 JAN 1999 USA 10.90
6. Daryll NEITA 29 AUG 1996 GBR 10.91
7. Tamara CLARK 09 JAN 1999 USA 10.96

Men’s 110 Hurdles: Holloway holds off stacked field

Two-time world champ Grant Holloway got off to a great start and never looked back as he won a loaded men’s 110 hurdles in 12.99 seconds. Eugene runner-up Trey Cunningham was the runner-up here once again (13.03) as Olympic champ Hansle Parchment started slowly but closed very well to get 3rd (13.08).

Final, Wind: +0.6

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Grant HOLLOWAY 19 NOV 1997 USA 12.99
2. Trey CUNNINGHAM 26 AUG 1998 USA 13.03
3. Hansle PARCHMENT 17 JUN 1990 JAM 13.08
4. Daniel ROBERTS 13 NOV 1997 USA 13.20
5. Sasha ZHOYA 25 JUN 2002 FRA 13.21
6. Pascal MARTINOT-LAGARDE 22 SEP 1991 FRA 13.26
7. Damian CZYKIER 10 AUG 1992 POL 13.46
8. Just KWAOU-MATHEY 04 DEC 1999 FRA 13.78

Men’s 200: Lyles blasts 19.46 to take down Knighton and Norman

Noah Lyles’ outstanding 2022 campaign continued tonight as he ran 19.46 – the second-fastest time of his life – to defeat Worlds bronze medalist Erriyon Knighton and fellow world champion Michael Norman in the heavily-anticipated men’s 200. Though Norman ran a powerful turn, Lyles’ was even better and he had the lead coming off the bend. From there it was vintage Lyles as he streaked away from his rivals to become the first man to break 19.50 more than once in the same year. The 18-year-old Knighton, who picked up his first career European win in Hungary on Monday, was second in 19.84 as Norman, the only man to ever defeat Lyles in a DL 200 back in 2019, was 3rd in 19.95.

NCAA champ Joseph Fahnbulleh, who announced earlier today that he had signed with Asics, was 7th in 20.46.

Final, Wind: +0.8

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Noah LYLES 18 JUL 1997 USA 19.46
2. Erriyon KNIGHTON 29 JAN 2004 USA 19.84
3. Michael NORMAN 03 DEC 1997 USA 19.95
4. Alexander OGANDO 03 MAY 2000 DOM 20.02
5. Aaron BROWN 27 MAY 1992 CAN 20.23
6. Josephus LYLES 22 JUL 1998 USA 20.26
7. Joseph FAHNBULLEH 11 SEP 2001 LBR 20.46
8. Méba Mickaël ZEZE 19 MAY 1994 FRA 20.78

Women’s 400: Miller-Uibo cruises to victory

World champ Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas was heavily favored to win in Monaco tonight and did just that, clocking 49.28 to take the victory, just off her 49.11 season’s best. She was never seriously challenged, though Jamaican champ Candice McLeod did end up running an impressive season’s best of 49.87 to take second.

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Shaunae MILLER-UIBO 15 APR 1994 BAH 49.28
2. Candice MCLEOD 15 NOV 1996 JAM 49.87
3. Sada WILLIAMS 01 DEC 1997 BAR 50.10
4. Stephenie Ann MCPHERSON 25 NOV 1988 JAM 50.52
5. Fiordaliza COFIL 27 OCT 2000 DOM 50.55
6. Junelle BROMFIELD 08 FEB 1998 JAM 50.93
7. Kaylin WHITNEY 09 MAR 1998 USA 51.02
8. Sokhna LACOSTE 25 AUG 2000 FRA 53.21

Women’s 400 hurdles: Clayton edges Russell in a battle of Jamaicans

There was no Sydney McLaughlin, Femke Bol, or Dalilah Muhammad in this race (though McLaughlin was shown watching in the stands), so there were no crazy fast times, but the fans were treated to a nice battle between Jamaicans Rushell Clayton and Janieve Russell. At the Commonwealth Games on Saturday, Russell took the win as Clayton missed the podium in 4th, but Clayton got a measure of revenge today by holding off a hard-charging Russell and taking the win in a pb of 53.33.

1. Rushell CLAYTON 18 OCT 1992 JAM 53.33
2. Janieve RUSSELL 14 NOV 1993 JAM 53.52
3. Gianna WOODRUFF 18 NOV 1993 PAN 54.13
4. Viktoriya TKACHUK 08 NOV 1994 UKR 54.27
5. Anna RYZHYKOVA 24 NOV 1989 UKR 54.53
6. Line KLOSTER 27 FEB 1990 NOR 54.62
7. Ayomide FOLORUNSO 17 OCT 1996 ITA 55.01
8. Camille SERI 01 MAY 1999 FRA 56.36

Field Events

Men’s long jump: Masso takes it

Cuba’s Maykel Masso, the bronze medalist at last year’s Olympics and fourth-placer at this year’s Worlds in Eugene, took an early lead with a leap of 8.35 meters in round two and though he did not record another legal jump (three fouls and a pass), that was enough to earn him his first career DL victory ahead of Olympic champ Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece (8.31m) and American Marquis Dendy (8.31m).

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK WIND
1. Maykel MASSÓ 08 MAY 1999 CUB 8.35 -0.4
2. Miltiadis TENTOGLOU 18 MAR 1998 GRE 8.31 -0.5
3. Marquis DENDY 17 NOV 1992 USA 8.31 -0.6
4. Tajay GAYLE 02 AUG 1996 JAM 8.06 +0.4
5. Thobias MONTLER 15 FEB 1996 SWE 7.96 +0.1
6. . SREESHANKAR 27 MAR 1999 IND 7.94 -0.8
7. Mattia FURLANI 07 FEB 2005 ITA 7.90 -0.3
8. Erwan KONATE 18 APR 2003 FRA 7.87 +0.5
9. Jules POMMERY 22 JAN 2001 FRA 7.83 -0.3
10. Steffin MCCARTER 19 JAN 1997 USA 7.82 -0.7

Women’s pole vault: Kennedy defeats Morris and Stefanidi

Australia’s Nina Kennedy continued her fine year, winning in Monaco over American Sandi Morris and Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi. All three women cleared 4.66m, but only Kennedy, who earned bronze at Worlds and gold at Commonwealths, did so on her first attempt.

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Nina KENNEDY 05 APR 1997 AUS 4.66
2. Sandi MORRIS 08 JUL 1992 USA 4.66
3. Aikaterini STEFANIDI 04 FEB 1990 GRE 4.66
4. Roberta BRUNI 08 MAR 1994 ITA 4.51
5. Ninon CHAPELLE 15 APR 1995 FRA 4.36
5. Lene Onsrud RETZIUS 04 JAN 1996 NOR 4.36
7. Angelica MOSER 09 OCT 1997 SUI 4.36
7. Tina ŠUTEJ 07 NOV 1988 SLO 4.36
  Marie-Julie BONNIN 17 DEC 2001 FRA NM
  Margot CHEVRIER 21 DEC 1999 FRA NM

Women’s triple jump: Rojas gets it done

World record holder Yulimar Rojas wasn’t up to her normal standard tonight but she overcame fouls on her first three jumps to win with a 15.01 fifth round jump. 2022 world #2 Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica was second at 14.93 as American Tori Franklin set a personal best in third (14.86, previous pb of 14.84), meaning the top 3 here were the same top 3 at Worlds.

1. Yulimar ROJAS 21 OCT 1995 VEN 15.01 -1.0
2. Shanieka RICKETTS 02 FEB 1992 JAM 14.91 +0.5
3. Tori FRANKLIN 07 OCT 1992 USA 14.86 +0.5
4. Maryna BEKH-ROMANCHUK 18 JUL 1995 UKR 14.59 -0.4
5. Keturah ORJI 05 MAR 1996 USA 14.56 +0.3
6. Thea LAFOND 05 APR 1994 DMA 14.45 +0.3
7. Leyanis PÉREZ HERNÁNDEZ 10 JAN 2002 CUB 14.37 +0.1
8. Patrícia MAMONA 21 NOV 1988 POR 14.23 -0.4

Women’s javelin: Barber wins

Australia’s Kelsey-Lee Barber added the Monaco title to her world and Commonwealth crowns as she threw 64.50m in round 3, more than two meters better than anyone else in the field.

1. Kelsey-Lee BARBER 20 SEP 1991 AUS 64.50
2. Haruka KITAGUCHI 16 MAR 1998 JPN 62.37
3. Mackenzie LITTLE 22 DEC 1996 AUS 61.76
4. Kara WINGER 10 APR 1986 USA 60.95
5. Līna MŪZE 04 DEC 1992 LAT 60.54
6. Yulenmis AGUILAR 03 AUG 1996 CUB 60.40
7. Liveta JASIŪNAITĖ 26 JUL 1994 LTU 59.47
8. Barbora ŠPOTÁKOVÁ 30 JUN 1981 CZE 57.58
9. Elizabeth GLEADLE 05 DEC 1988 CAN 57.08

Men’s high jump: Barshim wins jump-off

World champ Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and World Indoor champ Sanghyeok Woo of South Korea were both perfect through 2.30m but both missed all three attempts at 2.32. That led to a jump-off, and after both missed at 2.32, Barshim cleared 2.30 when Woo missed, giving him his first DL win of 2022.

PLACE NAME BIRTH DATE NAT. MARK
1. Mutaz Essa BARSHIM 24 JUN 1991 QAT 2.30
2. Sanghyeok WOO 23 APR 1996 KOR 2.30
3. Hamish KERR 17 AUG 1996 NZL 2.25
4. JuVaughn HARRISON 30 APR 1999 USA 2.25
5. Django LOVETT 06 JUL 1992 CAN 2.20
5. Shelby MCEWEN 06 APR 1996 USA 2.20
5. Andriy PROTSENKO 20 MAY 1988 UKR 2.20
8. Gianmarco TAMBERI 01 JUN 1992 ITA 2.20
9. Yonathan KAPITOLNIK 25 NOV 2002 ISR 2.20
  Donald THOMAS 01 JUL 1984 BAH NM

Talk about the meet on our messageboard / fan forum

More: Faith Kipyegon Runs 3:50.37 (#2 All-Time) to Narrowly Miss 1500m World Record in Monaco Kipyegon came just .30 shy of Genzebe Dibaba’s WR in a valiant effort as Americans Heather MacLean & Elise Cranny broke 4:00.
*MB: Faith Kipyegon so close!

Grant Fisher Breaks The 3000 American Record in Monaco, Runs 7:28.48 Benard Lagat’s record is history as Fisher judged things perfectly and then closed in 57.7

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