After sharing pole vault gold medal in Budapest, Australian star Kennedy prevails against American standout Moon at indoor competition in Zürich railway station; Lyles remains on a roll in 200, with Richardson securing another 100 victory

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos courtesy of Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League

INTERVIEWS | RESULTS

Nine athletes who shared a gold medal or won the title outright at the World Athletics Championships also secured victories Wednesday and Thursday at the Weltklasse Zürich, the annual Wanda Diamond League meeting at Letzigrund Stadium in Zürich, Switzerland.

American sprint champions Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles triumphed Thursday in their first competition since racing in Budapest, joining Jamaican athletes Shericka Jackson and Danielle Williams, 3,000-meter steeplechase winner Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain, Venezuelan triple jumper Yulimar Rojas, Greek long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglou and Swedish pole vaulter Armand “Mondo” Duplantis in earning wins.

Australian pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, who shared the gold medal with American competitor Katie Moon in Hungary, prevailed Wednesday in their first showdown since the memorable matchup Aug. 23, clearing a world-leading 16 feet, 1.25 inches (4.91m) on her first attempt at an indoor event at the Zürich main railway station.

Moon was second with a 15-9.25 (4.81m) clearance on her first try, with fellow American athlete Sandi Morris taking third by clearing 15-7.50 (4.76m) on her third opportunity.

Moon joined Norwegian 400-meter hurdler Karsten Warholm, British 1,500-meter runner Josh Kerr, Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra and Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi among the World champions that were unable to achieve victories in Zürich.

Lyles, who captured three gold medals in Hungary, achieved another 200-meter victory in a wind-legal 19.80.

Fellow American athlete Erriyon Knighton, silver medalist in Budapest, was also second Thursday in 19.87, with Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, 100-meter bronze medalist in Hungary, taking third in 19.87 and Kenny Bednarek of the U.S. finishing fourth in 19.98.

Richardson, who earned three medals including a pair of golds in Hungary, continued her momentum in the women’s 100-meter dash by clocking a wind-legal 10.88.

Jamaica secured second and third, with Natasha Morrison edging Elaine Thompson-Herah by a 10.997 to 11.00 margin.

Jackson, the women’s 200 gold medalist in Budapest, dominated the field again by clocking a wind-legal 21.82. British athlete Daryll Neita was second in 22.25, with American competitor Kayla White taking third in 22.33.

Williams, who doesn’t have enough points accumulated to qualify for the Diamond League final, followed her second World title in the 100 hurdles in Budapest by clocking a wind-legal 12.54 to edge a trio of Americans in Alaysha Johnson (12.58), Keni Harrison (12.59) and Tia Jones (12.62).

Duplantis prevailed with a first-attempt clearance of 19-8.25 (6.00m) in the men’s pole vault Thursday in Letzigrund Stadium, before three unsuccessful attempts at a new world record of 20-5.25 (6.23m).

Sam Kendricks, who did not compete for the United States in Budapest, finished second with a third-attempt clearance at 19-6.25 (5.95m).

KC Lightfoot, another U.S. athlete that did not qualify for the World Championships, took third at 19-2.25 (5.85m), with Australia’s Kurtis Marschall – bronze medalist from Budapest – and France’s Thibaut Collet also clearing the same height.

Rojas, who captured her fourth World Championships gold medal with a dramatic final-round performance in Budapest, achieved identical 49-8.50 (15.15m) triple jump efforts on the fourth and sixth attempts Thursday.

Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica placed second with a third-round mark of 48-6 (14.78m) and Cuba’s Liadagmis Povea produced a pair of 48-4 (14.73m) performances in the third and sixth rounds to take third.

Tentoglou, who emerged victorious in the sixth round in the men’s long jump final in Budapest, delivered again on his final attempt in Zürich to prevail with a leap of 26-10.75 (8.20m).

Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle was second with a mark of 26-5.75 (8.07m) and American athlete Jarrion Lawson took third at 26-5 (8.05m).

Yavi held off Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech by a 9:03.19 to 9:03.70 margin in the 3,000 steeplechase, with the order being identical to the podium in Budapest, as another Kenyan competitor, Faith Cherotich, took third in 9:07.59.

Luiza Gega, 34, lowered her own Albanian national record, running sub-9:10 for the first time to finish fourth in 9:09.64.

Yared Nuguse, fifth for the U.S. in the 1,500 final in Budapest, edged British competitor and World champion Kerr by a 3:30.49 to 3:30.51 margin. Kenya’s Abel Kipsang took third in 3:30.85 and George Mills of Great Britain was fourth in 3:30.95.

Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar cleared 7-8.50 (2.35m) on his first attempt to prevail in the men’s high jump, as Tamberi cleared 7-5.75 (2.28m) to finish fourth. Hamish Kerr set a New Zealand national record by clearing 7-7.75 (2.33m) on his first attempt to place second.

Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands, the reigning silver medalist, flipped the order of the men’s 400 hurdles final in Budapest, securing a victory against Warholm by a 47.27 to 47.30 margin. Alison dos Santos of Brazil took third in 47.62.

Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic improved from a third-place finish in Hungary to triumph in the men’s javelin with a fourth-round performance of 281-8 (85.86m), holding off World champion Chopra and his sixth-round effort of 281-2 (85.71m).

Germany’s Julian Weber took third with a 279-foot throw (85.04m) in the fourth round.

Laura Muir of Great Britain won the women’s 800 in 1:57.71, with Australia’s Catriona Bisset placing second in 1:58.77 and Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey taking third in 1:59.05.

Yomif Kejelcha prevailed in the men’s 5,000 in 12:46.91, with fellow Ethiopian competitor Selemon Barega finishing second in 12:54.17 and American athlete Grant Fisher taking third in 12:54.49. Luis Grijalva of Guatemala, who was fourth in the World final, also placed fourth Thursday in 12:55.88.

Jason Joseph achieved a Swiss national record 13.08 to earn the win in the men’s 110-meter hurdles.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas, less than five months following the birth of her son, won the women’s 400 in 51.83.

Norway’s Havard Bentdal Ingvaldsen clocked 45.28 to capture the men’s 400, just ahead of Italian athlete Davide Re running 45.49.

The Netherlands capped the meet by emerging victorious in the women’s 4x100 relay, holding off the host Swiss quartet by a 42.86 to 42.94 margin.