Stars sparkle in Diamond League
ZURICH MEET: SEMENYA, MANYONGA RETAIN THEIR TITLES
Wesley Bo
Ion
n the latter stages of a lengthy international season, world champions Caster Semenya and Luvo Manyonga said they were pleased to be able to maintain their fine form through the campaign, after delivering impressive performances to retain their Diamond League titles in Zurich on Thursday night.
Having been handed a rare defeat by countryman Ruswahl Samaai at the African Championships in Asaba last month, Manyonga looked set to take a back seat once again at the first leg of the Diamond League finals, with Samaai taking the lead on count back with a leap of 8.32 metres in the fourth round of the men’s long jump.
Manyonga saved his best for last, however, producing a jump of 8.36m with the final attempt of the competition to seal a dramatic win by four centimetres, with Samaai settling for second place.
“I am quite happy. My win shows I am still in good shape,” Manyonga said.
Semenya, meanwhile, added her third straight Diamond League crown to the Commonwealth and African titles she won earlier this season.
The versatile middle-distance star lit up the track with another dominant front-running performance in the women’s 800m race, crossing the line in 1:55.27, more than two seconds clear of American runner-up Ajee Wilson.
“It has been a long month of racing for me now. I feel it on my body,” Semenya said.
“But I like to run on my own from the first metres without any pacemaker, and I am consistent at this level.”
It was a relatively disappointing turnout, meanwhile, by the rest of the eight-member South African contingent at the Zurich meeting.
Cornel Fredericks was the best of the rest, ending fifth in the men’s 400m hurdles in 49.96.
Sprinter Akani Simbine was the only SA athlete in the start lists for the second leg of the Diamond League finals in Brussels last night.