South Africa had two representatives at Stockholm’s Diamond League athletics meeting, where Swedish superstar Armand Duplantis broke the world pole vault record for the 12th time, and for the first time in front of his home fans. He soared to a new high of 6.28m.
Prudence Sekgodiso added to her burgeoning reputation as one of the world’s finest 800m runners when she was beaten in a tight finish in the women’s 800m
Georgia Hunter-Bell of Great Britain delivered a perfectly timed late charge to surge from the back of the pack with 300 to go and storming past Sekgodiso and Mary Moraa at the line. The British athlete’s time of 1min 57.66sec was a season’s best for her.
Sekgodiso stopped the clock at exactly 1:58, which placed her third, with Moraa dipped at the line with a 1:57.83.
In the men’s 200m, Abdurahman Karriem was making his career Diamond League debut and finished a creditable fifth in 20.52, with victory going to Reynier Mena, who powered away from the field in 20.05, a season best for him and his second Diamond League win in just four days.
The Diamond League now moves to Paris for the eighth event on the 2025 calendar on Friday.
