Canada’s Sarah Mitton secured second place in the women’s shot put competition at the Diamond League Final held at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. Mitton, aged 30, achieved her top throw on the first attempt, reaching a distance of 20.64 meters, trailing behind American athlete Chase Jackson.
The 32-year-old Jackson clinched victory with a remarkable throw of 21.14 meters, setting new American, Diamond League, and meet records, also marking a world-leading performance. Jackson, a double world champion, surpassed her personal best by .012 meters to claim the win.
Mitton, commenting on her performance, expressed admiration for Jackson’s exceptional throw and the overall progress in shot put performances. Despite aiming for the top spot, Mitton was content with her performance and highlighted the positive aspects of her throws, concluding the season on a high note.
World champion Jessica Schilder from the Netherlands secured the third spot with a throw of 20.57 meters in her third attempt. Mitton, who had previously defended her Commonwealth Games title in July, aimed to add another Diamond League Trophy to her achievements after facing a title dispute last year.
In the men’s 800m race, Edmonton’s Marco Arop initially held second place but slipped to fourth with a time of 1:43.50. Arop, who had claimed third place the previous year and won bronze at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, faced tough competition, with Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi from Kenya seizing the title in 1:41.40.
Audrey Leduc from Gatineau, Que., finished sixth in the women’s 200m race, clocking in at 22.95 seconds, while Saint Lucia’s Julien Alfred took the top spot with a time of 21.79 seconds.
Jamaica’s Oblique Seville emerged victorious in the men’s 100m event with a swift time of 9.90 seconds, followed by Emmanuel Eseme from Cameroon and Kayinsola Ajayi from Nigeria.
The men’s pole vault event faced a setback as Swedish athlete Armand Duplantis withdrew from the competition for undisclosed reasons. Emmanouil Karalis from Greece claimed victory in the event. Additionally, Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse was withdrawn from the men’s 200 meters due to personal commitments and a focus on the Ultimate Championship, as confirmed by Athletics Canada.
