Niels Laros’s 1500 closing splits of 25.6 and 12.6 were unapproachable by the rest. (TAKESHI NISHIMOTO)
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, August 22 — In a thrilling DL 1500 Yared Nuguse could only finish 3rd but kept alive his dream of going to Tokyo via the back door. The Olympic bronze medalist secured enough points to make the DL Final in Zürich. Should he thread the needle to win there, a Wild Card invitation to the WC would follow.
However, next week is winner-takes-all and Nuguse must work out a way to get past the two youngsters who finished in front of him in the Belgian capital: the prodigious pair of the Netherlands’ Niels Laros and Kenya’s Phanuel Koech, just 20 and 18.
Nuguse was well-placed in 4th at the bell as Laros and Koech dueled in front of him, and the 1100 split of 2:37.0 fit well within the American’s usual comfort zone.
However, when Laros pushed the accelerator off the final bend, Nuguse was caught just a little short of speed despite his well-known fast finish.
Laros crossed the line in 3:30.58 and also showed Koech a clean pair of heels. The Kenyan finished 2nd in 3:31.41 while Nuguse clawed back some of the deficit over the final 50 and came home in 3:31.51.
“It was a busy and hectic race, but I was able to come through in a strong way like I wanted to,” Nuguse said. “After my win in Silesia, I was almost sure of my spot at the Diamond League Final, but this 3rd place will get me to Zürich for sure. Now, I’m gonna get some rest and recover. We’re all feeling the same way, so the recovery will be crucial.”
Vernon Norwood finds himself in the same situation as Nuguse if he is to bag himself a place in the Tokyo individual 400 after his 4th-place finish at the U.S. Trials earlier this month.
Norwood finished 2nd over one lap of the track in the famed King Badouin Stadium in 44.62 but was handily beaten by USATF winner Jacory Patterson, who won impressively in 44.05, his second-fastest time ever.
Starting in lane 7, Patterson was out fast from the gun and passed Norwood on his outside by the middle of the backstraight. He continued to pour it on around the final furlong.
The victory also earned Patterson a berth in the DL Final and in his current form he could be the one to thwart Norwood’s chances of a 4th individual outing at a World Champs and a chance of getting on the podium in his own right after so many relay successes following his 4th at the ’23 World Champs.
“I always said that I wanted to run at a Diamond League meeting [in Europe] and today I just won in Brussels, so this is crazy,” said Patterson, who has improved his PR this year from 44.81 in ’21 to 43.98. “This track is also very special, because the curves are very elongated so you can run hard. It was just so much fun.”
However, despite the loss, Norwood is certainly not tossing in the towel on his Tokyo ambitions. “I wanted to come out and run a good race, I’m satisfied but hoped to run a bit faster. I could have been a bit better I will try to get that time next week at the final of the Diamond League in Zürich. I hope to get the win over there.”
The field events provided the best marks of a surprisingly chilly evening and the discus saw Jamaica’s Ralford Mullings come of age.
The NCAA champion put his name firmly forward as a legitimate Tokyo medal threat with a win. Mullings’ last-round 228-6 (69.66) was his best-ever mark outside of Ramona. He had drawn notice with his PR 236-3 (72.01) in the Oklahoma wind tunnel less than a week prior.
For good measure, Mullings — 9th in the ‘24 Olympic final and a ’21 World U20 silver medalist — had a fourth-round 227-8 (69.41) which no one else could match.
“It is my first Diamond League victory ever. It doesn’t bother me that I didn’t make the 70-meter mark. The goal is always to get on the podium. Whatever distance it takes to get on the podium, I am happy with that. This was my first competition in Europe, and it was interesting. It is something you have to get used to with the travel, the acclimatization etc.,” said the Sooner who will be back in the classroom at Oklahoma before going to Tokyo.
In a repeat of the NCAA, WR-holder and ‘24 OG silver medalist Mykolas Alekna again had to settle for 2nd behind Mullings, this time with 225-9 (68.82).
Javelin world list leader Julian Weber, who threw 298-9 (91.06) at the Doha DL back in May, continued his almost flawless season with his eighth win in 9 competitions. The German had three throws better than anyone else could manage here.
He opened with 285-5 (87.01) and unleashed a huge effort of 294-1 (89.65) in the fourth stanza. That ultimately was the winning distance, before Weber also threw 283-10 (86.52) in the fifth round.
Trinidad’s ’12 Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott continues to be a medal threat more than a decade after his famous victory and showed his class by finishing 2nd with a season’s best 283-2 (86.30).
The steeple was the slowest of the 5 DL races over the barriers this summer but arguably was the most entertaining with Ruben Querinjean taking almost 5 seconds off his Luxembourg NR with an upset win in 8:09.47. In his first ever DL race, the recent World University Games winner made a little bit of history as the first ever DL men’s winner from the principality.
In a closely fought race, Querinjean outsprinted Ethiopia’s prerace favorite Getnet Wale off the final hurdle to deliver what many onlookers thought was the most significant win by a Luxembourger man in an international competition since Josy Barthel took the ’52 Olympic 1500 title.
Isaac Updike may not be Tokyo-bound after his below-par 5th at the U.S. Trials but was part of the finale down the home straight and improved his PR to 8:10.58 in 3rd.
BRUSSELS MEN’S RESULTS
200(-0.3): 1. Alexander Ogando (DR) 20.16; 2. Robert Gregory (US) 20.19; 3. Udodi Onwuzurike (Ngr) 20.29; 4. Christian Coleman (US) 20.42; 5. Makanakaishe Charamba (Zim) 20.57; 6. Joe Fahnbulleh (Lbr) 20.58; 7. Kyree King (US) 20.66.
Non-DL 400: I–1. Jacory Patterson (US) 44.05; 2. Vernon Norwood (US) 44.62; 3. Charlie Dobson (GB) 44.81; 4. Daniel Segers (Bel) 44.90; 5. Muzala Samukonga (Zam) 44.91. II–1. Antonio Watson (Jam) 44.89; 2. Dylan Borlée (Bel) 44.94 PR.
Non-DL 800: 1. Eliott Crestan (Bel) 1:43.91; 2. Francesco Pernici (Ita) 1:44.05 PR; 3. Samuel Chapple (Neth) 1:44.36.
1500: 1. Niels Laros (Neth) 3:30.58 (53.5); 2. Phanuel Koech (Ken) 3:31.41 (2:51.21); 3. Yared Nuguse (US) 3:31.51; 4. Isaac Nader (Por) 3:31.77; 5. Reynold Kipkorir (Ken) 3:31.86; 6. Samuel Pihlström (Swe) 3:32.28; 7. Ruben Verheyden (Bel) 3:32.71; 8. Louis Gilavert (Fra) 3:32.78; 9. Jake Wightman (GB) 3:32.95;… 14. Hobbs Kessler (US) 3:36.65.
St: 1. Ruben Querinjean (Lux) 8:09.47 NR; 2. Getnet Wale (Eth) 8:09.62;
3. Isaac Updike (US) 8:10.59 PR (9, x A);
4. Abraham Kibiwott (Ken) 8:11.26 (5:26.34); 5. Karl Bebendorf (Ger) 8:11.72; 6. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:12.77; 7. Tim Van De Velde (Bel) 8:14.40 PR; 8. Zakaria Al-Alhlami (Qat) 8:15.41 PR; 9. Benard Keter (US) 8:16.11 PR.
Field Events
HJ: 1. Oleh Doroshchuk (Ukr) 7-4½ (2.25); 2. Thomas Carmoy (Bel) 7-4½; 3. Romaine Beckford (Jam) 7-3¼ (2.22); 4. tie, Tomohiro Shinno (Jpn) & Hamish Kerr (NZ) 7-1¾ (2.18); 6. Marco Fassinotti (Ita) 7-1¾; 7. Eli Kosiba (US) 7-1¾; 8. tie, Jef Vermeiren (Bel) & Shelby McEwen (US) 7-¼ (2.14).
DT: 1. Ralford Mullings (Jam) 228-6 (69.66); 2. Mykolas Alekna (Lit) 225-9 (68.82; 3. Kristjan Čeh (Slo) 220-3 (67.13); 4. Daniel Ståhl (Swe) 220-2 (67.10); 5. Matt Denny (Aus) 217-6 (66.29).
JT: 1. Julian Weber (Ger) 294-1 (89.65); 2. Keshorn Walcott (Tri) 283-2 (86.30); 3. Anderson Peters (Grn) 279-5 (85.17); 4. Oliver Helander (Fin) 275-6 (83.97); 5. Julius Yego (Ken) 264-1 (80.50).
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