Athletics: after the golden harvest, Richardson and Lyles continue in Zurich

Kings of the sprint at the Budapest Worlds concluded on Sunday, the Americans Sha'Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles held their rank in stride at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich (Switzerland) on Thursday. Under the eyes of Roger Federer, the first, new winning face of world athletics, dominated the 100m in 10 sec 88 (wind: -0.2 m / s), ten days after becoming world champion of the queen race, and five days after sharing the world gold in the women's 4x100m. The second, author of a 100m-200m-4x100m hat-trick more achieved since Usain Bolt in the Hungarian capital, won the 200m, his favorite race, in 19 sec 80 (wind: -0.5 m/ s).

If they did not drive the clock crazy in the cold Swiss weather, both Richardson and Lyles were able to chain and avoid decompression after their triumph in the flagship meeting of the summer of 2023. Boost for both the American sprint that for the world athlete, the 23-year-old Texan beat two Jamaicans, Natasha Morrison and Elaine Thompson-Herah, the reigning double Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m who is going through a bad season, timed in 11 sec 00 and decided to the thousandth.

“I'm really happy to be able to finish the season with such fast times, appreciates Richardson, who was long overdue in the mixed zone. I had a good race today (Thursday), I felt very good physically, even if there is still room for improvement. I am very happy with the way the season is going, again after the Worlds”, underlines the one who won eleven of the thirteen 100m she ran (including heats) in 2023.

Lyles, now six-time world champion at 26, was faster than his young compatriot Erriyon Knighton (19.87), as in the Hungarian capital, and than the Briton Zharnel Hughes (19.94). “Everyone wants to beat me, everyone wants their piece of the pie, but I don't leave a crumb, he says. The conditions weren't perfect today but a win is a win. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty tired, it's short after the Worlds, but I had fun.

Like the American duo, the Jamaican Shericka Jackson, who has just retained the world gold in the 200m, enforced her status on the half-lap, victorious in 21 sec 82. "Mondo" Duplantis too, in the high jump the pole vault, even if the Swedish phenomenon, brand new double world champion, has once again failed to bring the world record to 6.23 m. This is the third time, after Stockholm in early July and the world final on Saturday, that he has unsuccessfully tackled this bar one centimeter higher than his last world record, set in February.

Duplantis was nevertheless the only one to cross six meters, on his first try. He won ahead of two Americans who had not qualified for the 2023 Worlds, Sam Kendricks (5.95m) and KC Lightfoot (5.85m).

The fatigue was felt stronger for Karsten Warholm. Becoming the first triple world champion in the 400m hurdles in history a week ago (2017, 2019 and 2023), the overpowered Norwegian ran out of juice, to the point of being beaten for the first time. for five years in the Diamond League in his favorite race.

It was at the end of August 2018, already in Zurich, and already by the runner from the British Virgin Islands Kyron McMaster, his runner-up in Budapest and this time winner for three hundredths, in 47 sec 27 (against 47.30 for Warholm). All competitions combined, this is the first defeat (outside the series) of the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder for more than a year (world final 2022, 7th). "As a competitor, I don't like to lose, but it was difficult after fulfilling my goal of becoming world champion again, drinking champagne and all that," smiled Warholm.