Niyonsaba continues strong post-Olympic efforts by elevating to No. 5 all-time competitor, ahead of No. 6 Taye; Tokyo bronze medalist Kigen leads Kenyan sweep, Thompson-Herah back on top in 100, plus Parchment in 110 hurdles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Francine Niyonsaba and Ejgayehu Taye became the first female competitors to both run under 8 minutes, 20 seconds in the same 3,000-meter race since a trio a questionable Chinese athlete achieved the feat in 1993, highlighting strong distance performances Saturday at the annual Paris Diamond League Meeting at Charlety Stadium.

Niyonsaba, who already ran the second-fastest 2-mile performance in history with her 9:00.75 effort Aug. 20 at the Prefontaine Classic, clocked 8:19.08 in the 3,000 to elevate to the No. 5 all-time competitor. The 28-year-old standout from Burundi took the lead at the mile mark and held off Taye, representing Ethiopia, who clocked 8:19.52 to ascend to the No. 6 all-time performer.

Only Sifan Hassan’s mark of 8:18.49 from the 2019 Prefontaine Classic at Stanford is a faster performance than Niyonsaba and Taye, outside of Chinese competitors Wang Junxia, Qu Yunxia and Zhang Linli and what they ran in 1993 in Beijing.

Elise Cranny finished fourth in 8:30.30, helping the Nike Bowerman Track Club athlete elevate to the No. 4 American competitor in history. Alicia Monson of On Athletics Club was ninth in 8:40.08.

RESULTS

Benjamin Kigen, the Olympic bronze medalist, led a Kenyan sweep of the top three spots in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in a world-leading 8:07.12.

Abraham Kibiwot clocked 8:09.35 and Leonard Bett ran 8:10.21, with American Hilary Bor placing ninth in 8:21.02.

For the first time since prior to the Olympics, Jamaica did not sweep the top three spots in the women’s 100-meter dash at a Diamond League event, largely because Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce did not race following her No. 3 all-time 10.60 performance Thursday in Lausanne.

Elaine Thompson-Herah, the reigning Olympic 100 and 200 gold medalist, returned to her winning ways by clocking a wind-legal 10.72, with 100 bronze medalist Shericka Jackson finishing second in 10.97. Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain prevented a sweep by taking third in 11.06, with Jamaican Natasha Morrison fourth in 11.09.

Olympic gold medalist Hansle Parchment of Jamaica rebounded from a disappointing performance Thursday in Lausanne to win the 110-meter hurdles in a wind-legal 13.03, with Americans Devon Allen (13.08) and Daniel Roberts (13.16) finishing second and third.

Wyclife Kinyamal prevailed in the men’s 800 meters in 1:43.94, ahead of fellow Kenyan and Olympic silver medalist Ferguson Rotich (1:44.45). Canada’s Marco Arop, who achieved victories at the Prefontaine Classic and in Lausanne, ran 1:44.74 to take third and American Clayton Murphy finished ninth in 1:45.60.

After Kenny Bednarek held off Fred Kerley in Thursday’s 200 matchup in Switzerland, the American silver medalists went head to head again Saturday. Kerley prevailed by a 19.784 to 19.789 margin, with Josephus Lyles placing sixth in 20.37.

Marileidy Paulino, the Olympic silver medalist from the Dominican Republic, held off Sada Williams of Barbados for the second time in three days in the women’s 400, by a 50.12 to 50.30 margin.

Allyson Felix, the 400 bronze medalist, took third in 50.47 and fellow American Quanera Hayes placed fifth in 50.81.

Gianna Woodruff of Panama earned her first career Diamond League victory in the women’s 400 hurdles in 54.44. Nnenya Hailey was fourth in 54.78 and fellow American Shamier Little earned eighth in 57.18.

Danielle Williams of Jamaica won the women’s 100-meter hurdles in 12.50, with Nadine Visser achieving a Dutch national record to place second in 12.58. Americans Gabbi Cunningham (12.86) and Christina Clemons (12.96) finished fifth and sixth overall.

The gold and silver medalists in the Olympic women’s high jump squared off again, with Australia’s Nicola McDermott earning the victory over authorized neutral athlete Mariya Lasitskene of Russia.

McDermott, the runner-up in Tokyo, cleared 6-6 (1.98m) on her first attempt, with Olympic champion Lasitskene needing three opportunities Saturday to successfully clear the bar.

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, the Olympic gold medalist from Sweden, rebounded from a fourth-place finish Thursday in Lausanne to clear 19-8.50 (6.01m) and secure the victory.

Ernest John Obiena improved on his own national record for the Philippines by clearing 19-4.75 (5.91m) to place second.

Chris Nilsen, who triumphed in Lausanne, took third Saturday with a 19-0.75 (5.81m) clearance, and fellow Americans Sam Kendricks and KC Lightfoot both cleared 18-9.50 (5.73m).

Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic produced the top overall throw in the women’s discus competition at 216-9 (66.08m), along with the best mark in the sixth round at 215-6 (65.68m) to prevail against Cuba’s Yaime Perez, the Tokyo bronze medalist, at 214-3 (65.31m) and Olympic champion Valarie Allman of the United States at 211-7 (64.51m).

Former Texas A&M standout Tahar Triki of Algeria achieved the top triple jump mark with a first-round effort of 56-3.75 (17.16m). But Hugues Fabrice Zango of Burkina Faso, the Olympic bronze medalist, emerged victorious with the top sixth-round mark of 55-8.25 (16.97m).

American Chris Benard was fifth overall at 54-6 (16.61m) and Donald Scott placed eighth at 53-11.25 (16.44m).

Johannes Vetter of Germany had the top overall throw with a third-round effort of 286-1 (87.20m) in the men’s javelin competition, but Anderson Peters of Grenada prevailed in the sixth round with a performance of 278-4 (84.84m). Peters had his top throw of 282-1 (85.98m) also in the third round.