26-05-2025
Australian high jumper Yual Reath second at Diamond League in Rabat
Australian high jumper Yual Reath has bounced back superbly from an injury scare and was just pipped for what would have been a maiden Diamond League triumph in Morocco.
Star New Zealander Hamish Kerr claimed the victory on countback with a 2.25-metre jump.
Reath, 25, and Italy's Marco Fasinotti cleared the same height on Monday, AEST, but were forced to share second place as the Kiwi went over 2.25m at his first attempt.
American duo Shelby McEwen and JuVaughn Harrison, both global medallists, finished outside the podium places in Rabat.
"I'm happy with that. It's been a long build- up, things have been delayed but I'm slowly getting better with each competition," said Ballarat-based Reath, who hit back hard following a setback at last week's Seiko Golden Grand Prix in Japan.
"Back in Tokyo, I scissored two metres; next minute I looked at my leg and I had ripped through my ankle.
"I had to get 20 plus stitches, it must have been my spikes once I landed on the bag.
"I told the first aid, 'Strap it up, I'm finishing this competition.' It was a lot of mental work because I could still feel it, but I had to keep going."
Rising Australian middle-distance star Jude Thomas set a personal best of 3 minutes 33.35 seconds to finish 10th in the men's 1,500m.
It was less than half a second outside the qualifying mark for September's world championships in Tokyo.
Sarah Billings was seventh in the women's 1,500m, and Stawell Gift winner Bree Rizzo (11.43) was last in the women's 100m on her Diamond League debut.
AAP
