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Athletics: Hamish Kerr soars high for another Diamond League victory

Athletics: Hamish Kerr soars high for another Diamond League victory

RNZ News17 hours ago
Hamish Kerr during the International Athletics Meet in Christchurch, 2025.
Photo:
© Photosport Ltd 2025 www.photosport.nz
Canterbury high jumper Hamish Kerr is returning to his best after winning the latest Diamond League meeting.
Kerr jumped 2.33m to win in Silesia, Poland.
He cruised through his first few heights and was close to elimination at 2.30m before clearing with his third attempt to claim victory.
Kerr then cleared 2.33m and made one attempt at 2.35 before retiring.
American JuVaughn Harrison was second and Ukrainian Oleh Doroshchuk third, both clearing 2.28m.
It is Kerr's second Diamond League victory of the season and he remains top of the standings.
Kerr's height
was a season best and just 3cm short
of his personal best.
"I have been working pretty hard and it was kind of frustrating not to show what I am capable of in competitions, I felt there was more in the bank," Kerr said afterwards.
"But things are starting to get better now as I am getting fresher.
"The plan was to start jumping high in competition starting from on Sunday and it worked. The conditions were amazing on Sunday and the track is great for jumping.
"If the weather is as good in Brussels, maybe I can go even higher. My plan for the World Championships is to set a [personal best] and win!"
Kerr will compete in the Brussels Diamond League meeting next week before going to the World Championships in Japan next month.
Meanwhile, Tom Walsh finished fourth in the shot put with a throw of 21.72m, a half a metre behind winner Payton Otterdahl of the United States.
Kishane Thompson laid down a marker ahead of next month's world championships when the Jamaican came out on top in the highly anticipated 100 metres against Olympic champion Noah Lyles.
Thompson blasted out of the blocks and never looked like being beaten, while Lyles, with his typically slow start, ran strongly at the end but the Jamaican won in 9.87 seconds, with Lyles clocking 9.90, his season's best.
New Zealand sprinter Zoe Hobbs won the 100m race at a Continental-level meeting in Switzerland. Her time was 11.19 seconds.
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