Flying high: Kerr soaks up spinoffs of win
The height was modest by his lofty standards, but everything else about Hamish Kerr’s Diamond League high jump victory in Suzhou, China on Saturday night screamed notable.
The 27-year-old Christchurch-based world indoors champion of 2024 secured his first major victory outdoors for the year when he won at the second Diamond League meet of the year with a best clearance of 2.31m, 5cm shy of the personal best and national record he set to win gold under the roof in Glasgow in March.
Most impressively, he shaded defending Olympic champion and three-time world outdoors gold medallist Mutaz Barshim (2.29m) for top honours in a competition that came down to a head-to-head showdown between the two leading leapers in the field. Barshim, 32, has a PB of 2.43m, among a glittering list of achievements in the event.
“It was satisfying because post-indoors, I’ve come back to New Zealand and had a pretty bold strength block, done a lot of training, and we’ve pushed it quite late in terms of freshening up for these meets,” Kerr said from China after the second Diamond League victory of his career.
“I wasn’t fresh. That comes with its challenges, and to be able to get heights like 2.31 and beat the competition when I definitely feel like I’m far from my best physically is a real credit to the technical work we’re doing and where I’m placed going into the next few months.”
Throw in a winning duel against one of the greats of all time, done the hard way, and it was little wonder that Kerr was preparing for a flight to his next stop, in Doha, with a real spring in his step.
“I grew up watching Barshim jump crazy heights all through my childhood, so to be able to nab him at what is probably the twilight of his career is awesome,” added Kerr.
“It was challenging out there as well. I had some misses at early heights (he cleared 2.24 and 2.27 at the second dig), and [Barshim] kept on just clearing them. Usually when you’re the guy doing all the first attempts, it’s easy to keep that momentum going. I had to fight back and get to the level he was at, and also surpass him because he had the advantage of countback. It wasn’t an easy victory, but we got there.”
Barshim finally faltered at 2.31, and Auckland-raised Kerr soared over that height at his second attempt to grab an important victory to light the fuse on his Olympic buildup campaign. “It’s the second-highest height I’ve ever cleared in Diamond League, so is right up there.”
Kerr also revealed another key reason the Suzhou victory carried extra sweetness.
“I won my first Diamond League last year in Stockholm, and jumped 2.24, which was the worst winning height ever. I get a little bit of stick on tour for that, so it’s nice to put that bogey to bed and actually win one with a decent height.”
Kerr said a two-week stint in China that also took in the Diamond League opener in Xiamen (where he finished third with a 2.24m clearance) had been an ideal launching pad for his outdoors season. Next stop is Doha for a street meet on May 9 that has been put together by Barshim.
Two other Kiwis were in action in Suzhou, with Maddie Wesche finishing sixth in the women’s shot put with a best toss of 19.23m, and Tori Peeters seventh in the javelin with a season’s best 59.11m.