Sarah earns Aussie top Billings in Diamond League
Following her third place in the 1000m in the previous week's meeting in Xiamen, the improving Melbourne athlete finished runner-up in the 800m at the Shanghai-Keqiao meet on Saturday, clocking a new lifetime best of 1 minute 57.83 seconds as she chased home Ethiopian winner Tsige Duguma.
The 27-year-old's time was just five-hundredths of a second outside Catriona Bisset's national mark of 1:57.78, set in London six years ago, as she powered through the pursuing pack to become just the second Australian woman to crack the 1:58 barrier.
"I couldn't be happier! I've been picked for the world championships in the 1500m already, so that's still the main goal, but that was pretty close to the national record, so I'm really happy," said Billings, who knocked over a second off her best of 1:58.94 but was no match for 24-year-old Duguma's new Ethiopian record of 1:56.64.
"I had a really clear race plan, I just wanted to go really hard at 300m to go. My coach Nic (Bideau) told me this morning that gaps open up with 100m to go on the inside and to watch for it. I watched for it and some opened up," Billings said.
She wasn't the only Australian woman on the podium, with the brilliant high jump duo of runner-up Nicola Olyslagers and third-placed Eleanor Patterson again having to give best to Ukraine's Olympic champion and world record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
Olyslagers cleared 1.98m on her second attempt to finish ahead of Patterson (1.95m) but Mahuchikh's 2.00m clearance again put her on top as it had in Xiamen.
"The competition today was a big improvement from last week. I enjoyed it! Today I had courage and I am thankful for that," said Olympic double silver medallist Olyslagers.
"This is the first time I have started my season a bit later, so every jump of course I want to be over two metres and getting personal bests, but I have great faith that God will get me ready. I don't worry about the past, I just go forward."
Olympic and world champion Armand Duplantis soared 6.11 metres to win the pole vault as usual, but missed out on his single crack at a world record attempt at 6.28m. Australian Kurtis Marschall cleared 5.72m to claim fourth place.
Matthew Clarke clocked 8:28.86 for 10th place in the 3000m steeplechase while Mackenzie Little (NSW) was ninth in the javelin with a 56.85m throw.
Rising middle-distance prospect Jude Thomas marked his Diamond League debut over 5000m by finishing 16th in 13:32.99.
International performance of the night was American Cordell Tinch becoming the fourth fastest high hurdler of all time as he scorched to victory in 12.87 seconds.
South African Akani Simbine backed up his win in Xiamen last week by running down Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson in the last few strides to win the 100m in 9.98 seconds.
Karsten Warholm, who ran a world best time in the 300m hurdles in Xiamen, confirmed his fine form by dominating the more familiar 400m in 47.28.
With Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Australia win toss, bowl against West Indies in T20
Australia won the toss and will bowl against the West Indies in the series-opening T20 clash in Jamaica. Captain Mitch Marsh opted to give his revamped batting line-up a run chase at Sabina Park in Kingston. Power hitter Mitch Owen will make his Australian debut batting in the middle order in the first game of the five-match series. The Australians have also summoned Jake Fraser-McGurk to open the innings after the 23-year-old was initially overlooked for the tour. Fraser-McGurk was called up when paceman Spencer Johnson (back) was ruled out. Now, a side strain to incumbent opener Matt Short, who is returning home, has gifted opportunity to Fraser-McGurk, who averages 16.14 from seven T20 internationals. Australia's regular middle-order blaster Tim David has been rested for the fixture while recovering from a hamstring strain sustained in the IPL, with Cooper Connolly to bat at seven. Teams: Australia: Mitch Marsh (capt), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa. West Indies: Shai Hope (capt), Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford.
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
This golfer questioned whether winning was everything. Then he won a major
Portrush, Northern Ireland: Scottie Scheffler's robotic dominance of world golf has continued in Northern Ireland, with the world No.1 winning his fourth major and first Open Championship in stunning fashion at Royal Portrush. Last week, the American raised eyebrows when he said winning tournaments was 'not a fulfilling life'. Regardless, he was never in danger of losing his grip on the Claret Jug on Sunday, carding a final round of three-under 68. Local hope Rory McIlroy, who finished tied for seventh, did his best to try to run Scheffler down after posting a final two-under round of 69, but the American was far too good for the rest of the field. Whether or not he was fulfilled by the win, Scheffler definitely enjoyed getting the win over the crowd favourite. 'The crowd wanted someone else to win this week and I got to play spoiler … it was a really interesting day but it was also a lot of fun,' Scheffler said. As so many world-class golfers struggled to deal with the rain, wind, and undulating fairways throughout the week, Scheffler, at times, made it look elementary. Scheffler's dominance left the Northern Irishman McIlroy feeling pure admiration. 'There's only two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run that Scottie has been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. It's incredibly impressive, he's a very worthy winner but also he's a great person and a wonderful ambassador for our game as well, so I'm really happy for him and [wife] Meredith and his family.'
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
West Indies vs Australia LIVE: First Twenty20 in Jamaica
Latest posts Latest posts 9.34am Australia win the toss and bowl Mitch Marsh has won the toss and Australia will bowl Marsh says he wants to get a look at the pitch first and then chase a target under the new lights at Sabina Park. Jake Fraser-McGurk is back in Aussie colours After making his mark with a string of pulverising displays at the Indian Premier League in 2024, Jake Fraser-McGurk has found more famine than feast in his recent tournaments. He's been in and out of the Australian side and initially missed selection for this tour. However and injury to left-arm paceman Spencer Johnson opened up a spot in the squad, and overnight it emerged that first choice opener Matt Short had also headed home with a side strain. That means Fraser-McGurk will open with Marsh in Jamaica, while debutant Mitch Owen takes a role in the middle order. Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have been rested from the series. Australia XI: Mitch Marsh (capt), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa. 9.28am Big decisions coming for world cricket Overnight, the International Cricket Council Annual conference wrapped up in Singapore, and there were plenty of major moves in terms of the future of the game. A men's Twenty20 Champions League will be relaunched as soon as September next year, after the tournament was backed by key member countries at the International Cricket Council's annual conference in Singapore. Test cricket's future and a possible split into two divisions may also be decided by the end of the year, after the ICC formalised a working group to reshape the game's calendar from 2027 onwards, according to two sources with knowledge of confidential discussions. There is now a distinct possibility that the number of Test playing countries may be capped, on the basis that only a few currently make money from the game's oldest format and that many nations do not have the resources to support the systems required for developing competitive Test teams. Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg and Richard Gould, CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board, will be among the eight members of the calendar working group, alongside the ICC's new chief executive Sanjog Gupta. It will be expected to present interim findings and recommendations to the ICC board, chaired by india's Jay Shah, before the end of this year. 9.28am Welcome to the T20 series Hello and welcome to our coverage of the first T20 between Australia and the West Indies in Jamaica. This is the first game of a five-match series, part of Australia's run to the T20 World Cup to be played in India next year. Australia have never beaten West Indies in a T20 series in the Caribbean, and were thrashed 4-1 when they last contested one in these parts of the world in 2021. That tour, which was followed by another beating in Bangladesh, was a catalyst for then coach Justin Langer to adjust his methods and allow the players to control more of their own space. A surprise victory at the 2021 T20 World Cup soon followed in the UAE. Mitchell Marsh was a key part of that story as a top three batter. He is now the T20 captain.
