Sarah earns Aussie top Billings in Diamond League
Sarah Billings has come perilously close to breaking the Australian 800 metres record as she enjoyed another breakthrough two-lap outing at the latest Diamond League meeting in China.
Following her third place in the 1000m in the previous week's meeting in Xiamen, the improving Melbourne athlete finished runner-up in the 800m at the Shanghai-Keqiao meet on Saturday, clocking a new lifetime best of 1 minute 57.83 seconds as she chased home Ethiopian winner Tsige Duguma.
The 27-year-old's time was just five-hundredths of a second outside Catriona Bisset's national mark of 1:57.78, set in London six years ago, as she powered through the pursuing pack to become just the second Australian woman to crack the 1:58 barrier.
"I couldn't be happier! I've been picked for the world championships in the 1500m already, so that's still the main goal, but that was pretty close to the national record, so I'm really happy," said Billings, who knocked over a second off her best of 1:58.94 but was no match for 24-year-old Duguma's new Ethiopian record of 1:56.64.
"I had a really clear race plan, I just wanted to go really hard at 300m to go. My coach Nic (Bideau) told me this morning that gaps open up with 100m to go on the inside and to watch for it. I watched for it and some opened up," Billings said.
She wasn't the only Australian woman on the podium, with the brilliant high jump duo of runner-up Nicola Olyslagers and third-placed Eleanor Patterson again having to give best to Ukraine's Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
Olyslagers cleared 1.98m on her second attempt to finish ahead of Patterson (1.95m) but Mahuchikh's 2.00m clearance again put her on top as it had in Xiamen.
"The competition today was a big improvement from last week. I enjoyed it! Today I had courage and I am thankful for that," said Olympic double silver medallist Olyslagers.
"This is the first time I have started my season a bit later, so every jump of course I want to be over two metres and getting personal bests, but I have great faith that God will get me ready. I don't worry about the past, I just go forward."
Olympic and world champion Armand Duplantis soared 6.11 metres to win the pole vault as usual, but missed out on his single crack at a world record attempt at 6.28m. Australian Kurtis Marschall cleared 5.72m to claim fourth place.
Matthew Clarke clocked 8:28.86 for 10th place in the 3000m steeplechase while Mackenzie Little (NSW) was ninth in the javelin with a 56.85m throw.
Rising middle-distance prospect Jude Thomas marked his Diamond League debut over 5000m by finishing 16th in 13:32.99.
International performance of the night was American Cordell Tinch becoming the fourth fastest high hurdler of all time as he scorched to victory in 12.87 seconds.
South African Akani Simbine backed up his win in Xiamen last week by running down Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson in the last few strides to win the 100m in 9.98 seconds.
Karsten Warholm, who ran a world best time in the 300m hurdles in Xiamen, confirmed his fine form by dominating the more familiar 400m in 47.28.
With Reuters
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