The Samsung Diamond League events this week in
Birmingham and Zurich have been largely characteristic of events after the
Olympics where post Olympic fatigue seems to be fully in play.
The result is usually some drama and upsets due to
mental and physical weariness of the athletes after a long an intense season.
This week’s Zurich Diamond League event didn’t
disappoint, living up to its status as the best one day meeting in the world.
Zurich is the most prestigious event of the Samsung Diamond League series
because it gets the best athletes in the world. This meeting was unique in the
sense that it was the final Diamond League meeting for half of the disciplines
and $40,000 was on the line for the leaders in those events.
However, this year’s edition of the Weltklasse
would probably be remembered for its share of drama and upsets in the middle
and long distance events.
The big story was of course the shock defeat of
David Rudisha in his first race after his historic run in the London Olympics.
With the high standards set from London,
expectations were that Rudisha could try to batter his own world record again
in Zurich given that he had recovered from his Olympic efforts. However, Rudisha
wasn’t in his element this time due to the cold and wet conditions and a less
than optimal pacemaker who left him out on his own and became vulnerable for
the first time this season.
Rudisha went into Zurich on a 9 win streak and
just like last season, had his streak broken by Mohammed Aman of Ethiopia at
the very end of his season in similar weather conditions. This time however,
Aman’s victory over Rudisha was a costly one with the Diamond League event
title going the Ethiopian’s way.
The bigger
picture in the 800 meters however does not change because of this loss as we all
know who owns this event.
The women’s 3000 meters steeplechase provided some
drama from a Kenyan perspective when Diamond League leader Milcah Chemos, the
favorite heading into the Olympics but left London without a medal, was trying
to salvage her season with her second straight DL title. If she finished in the
top 2, she was guaranteed the $40,000. She unfortunately tripped over a barrier
in the penultimate lap, ending her chances of securing the overall event win.
Surprisingly, she was handed a lifeline when the
race winner, Sophia Assefa from Ethiopia, was disqualified for stepping inside
the track and Chemos was declared the event title winner.
The final Diamond League event of the season is
the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme event in Brussels next Friday.
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