2024 Lausanne DL: Wanyonyi 1:41 Again, Broadbell Beats Holloway, & Akins Leaves Brooks Beasts

After a monthlong break for the Olympics in Paris, the 2024 Diamond League season resumed on Thursday with the Athletissima Lausanne meet in Switzerland. The men’s 800 was once again one of the standout events as the world’s best runners continue to inch closer to David Rudisha‘s 1:40.91 world record. Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi won another super fast race in 1:41.11 — tying him for #2 on the all-time list with Wilson Kipketer — as Olympic silver medalist Marco Arop was 2nd in 1:41.72 and American Bryce Hoppel 4th in 1:42.63.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen won the battle of Olympic 1500 champions against Cole Hocker, running 3:27.83 to win by more than two seconds. That race gets its own recap here. In other action, Grant Holloway suffered his first defeat of 2024 as Rasheed Broadbell won the 110 hurdles, Mary Moraa won the women’s 800 as Nia Akins, who has left the Brooks Beasts, competed in a sponsorless kit. And Olympic champ Letsile Tebogo racked up another big win in the 200 meters.

Below, thoughts on the five biggest races in Lausanne (not counting the men’s 1500).

*Full results *Race videos

Men’s 800: The world record is getting closer

Ever since the Paris Diamond League on July 7, where three men went sub-1:42, Rudisha’s 1:40.91 world record from 2012 has been on the mind of athletics fans. And while it hasn’t been broken yet, the gap continues to shrink. 

Now, Emmanuel Wanyonyi is inching ever so close. The 20-year-old, who ran 1:41.19 to win the Olympics, lowered his personal best to 1:41.11 to defeat a field that included three other sub-1:42 men. After a curious move on the curve 450 meters into the race, Marco Arop managed to finish in second, clocking 1:41.72 and notching his second sub-1:42 run of the year. 

From the gun, the pace was right on. Ludovic Le Meur towed the field through in 49.32 seconds, 0.04 behind Rudisha’s 49.28 split from 2012. As expected, Arop and Wanyonyi followed the pacer closely with Bryce Hoppel and Gabriel Tual in tow. Around the bend, Arop ran well into lane two in order to move around the pacer (who was trying to drift out and drop out) and led down the backstretch. Wanyonyi would ultimately bring it home in another world-leading time and a Diamond league record. Bryce Hoppel finished in fourth place, clocking 1:42.63.

The world record is going down before the end of the year

Five men have broken 1:42 this year, which is staggering when you consider that only five men in history had done it as of three months ago. Wanyonyi himself has done it four times, which is a record for a single year. Even more impressive, he’s done it in each of his last four finals, getting faster each time: 1:41.70 at the Kenyan trials, 1:41.58 at the Paris Diamond League, 1:41.19 at the Olympics, and now 1:41.11 in Lausanne.

Arop has also gone 1:41 back-to-back, running 1:41.20 at the Olympics and 1:41.72 tonight and running extra distance each time. With those guys pushing each other, expect the world record to fall before the end of the year. Wanyonyi and Arop are both scheduled to race the 800 in Silesia on Sunday, and there are also 800s in Zurich (September 5) and the DL final in Brussels (September 14).

What the heck was Marco Arop doing in this race?

Arop went way wide on the turn

Arop’s first lap today was fairly conventional. Fast (49.6), but conventional. His second lap was insane. Arop hit the bell as the first racer and was still full of run. Meanwhile the pacer Ludovic le Meur was beginning to tire. But rather than wait for the pacer to drop out, Arop swung wide to pass him on the first turn, a move that proved disastrous when le Meur decided to drop out in that same moment. Arop wound up going even wider, almost to lane 3, to pass le Meur and ran half of the turn in lane 2 when he could have run the entire turn on the rail had he just been a little more patient.

That move certainly cost Arop time but was exacerbated by some unfortunate timing. But on the back straight, Arop made the inexplicable decision to drift wide and cede the inside line to Wanyonyi, whom he allowed to pass without a fight. And when he did move outside to attempt to pass Wanyonyi back on the home straight, he went wider than necessary.

All of this cost Arop time, perhaps half a second or more, yet he still ran 1:41.72, which shows just how fit Arop is right now.

MB: What the heck was Marco Arop doing in Lausanne?

Women’s 3000: Welteji wins as Cranny runs fast

The women’s 3k was no contest over the final lap as Ethiopian Diribe Welteji blasted the final 400 meters in 60.6 to win by almost two full seconds in a meet record 8:21.50. In a race that was paced honestly with a first k of 2:49.11, the field was broken up by 2k where Tsige Gebreselama was leading as a pack of four came through in 5:38.78. Behind her was countrywoman Welteji, American Elise Cranny and Kenyan Janeth Chepngetich. The pack stayed together until 400 to go, where Welteji moved to the lead, dropping Cranny from the pack. Chepngetich tried to go with her but was unable to match the move as the field was strung out with 200 to go. Welteji continued to pour it on the final 200 increasing the gap to come home with the win. 

Welteji is coming off a slightly disappointing Olympics where she finished in fourth place in the 1500 after being an expected medal contender and commented on the prime conditions for racing and the large crowd saying that she was pleased with the time.

Cranny, who was in contention until the final lap, held on for 4th in a big pb of 8:25.10 (previous best of 8:29.95 from Lausanne last year). Cranny’s time is actually the fastest ever by an American woman outdoors, though Elle St. Pierre (8:20.87) and Alicia Monson (8:25.05) have both gone faster indoors.

Women’s 800: Moraa thrives while sponsorless Akins fizzles

With her fellow Olympic 800m medalists sitting this one out, Olympic bronze medalist Mary Moraa dominated the field, running 1:57.91 for the win. She was in either first or second the entire race and blasted the field over the final 150 to win by over half a second.

Moraa has now established herself as one of the most consistent elite 800-meter runners in the world as she has now three global medals in the last three years with her two bronze medals sandwiching her 2023 world championship run. Along with Keely Hodgkinson and Athing Mu, the three have separated themselves as the premier 800 trio in the world over the past few years as Moraa and Hodgkinson have both medaled in the last three global championships.

Georgia Bell, who finished second in this race in 1:58.53, has had an absolutely crazy 2024. She has slashed over 13 seconds off her 1500 PB from 4:06.20 to 3:52.61. Bell transformed herself from a virtual unknown to an Olympic medalist in a year. This massive improvement is almost unfathomable and it truly embodies the idea of “dreams becoming reality.” She deserves a massive hand.  

Akins wore a plain black top in Lausanne

One other important note from this race was that two-time defending US champion Nia Akins lined up in a logoless black kit rather than that of her sponsor, Brooks. Akins led with 200 to go but would fade to 10th in 2:00.00. Later, Chris Chavez reported that Akins and the Brooks Beasts have parted ways after four years.

It’s not uncommon for athletes to leave their sponsor/training group after an Olympic year. It is strange for an athlete to leave during the track season as usually contracts run through the end of the calendar year. We’ll be interested to hear if more emerges on this story as Akins’ quick departure suggests there was a pressing reason for her to leave the team.

MB: Nia Akins and Brooks part ways

Men’s 110 hurdles: Holloway is beaten for the first time in 2024

Grant Holloway may have claimed the Olympic gold medal, the one title that was missing from his resume, but that doesn’t make him untouchable. Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell handed Holloway his first loss of the season, running 13.10 to Holloway’s 13.14 to take the 110 hurdles in Lausanne. Broadbell, the Olympic bronze medalist, seems to be Holloway’s kryptonite as Broadbell is now 4-3 all-time against Holloway in the 110 hurdles.

“Coming off that high from the Olympics, it’s challenging to keep that same pace, but I’m focused on learning from this race to run better next time,” Holloway said. “Once you’ve reached your goals, it can be though to keep pushing, but I’m prepared to defend my world titles. As long as I’m improving, it’s a good sign.”

Men’s 200: Tebogo runs down Knighton in home straight

Erriyon Knighton led off the turn in the men’s 200 but Letsile Tebogo came on strong over the final 100 to prove show why he is the Olympic champ. Tebogo has been nothing short of incredible this year winning Olympic gold after the death of his mother. He went back to Botswana and said he did not train for eight days after the Olympics but showed little rust in Lausanne tonight, running his third-fastest time ever of 19.64 (Knighton was 2nd in 19.78).

There is a legitimate question as to who would win at 200 meters between Tebogo and a healthy Noah Lyles, but the world will have to wait until 2025 for an answer as Lyles has said he will not be racing again this season.