Bartoletta was the first winner of a Diamond Race discipline at the 41st edition of the famous Prefontaine Classic, taking the long jump with a leap of 7.11m on her third attempt.
The mark added nine centimetres to her personal best of 7.02m and made her the first jumper of the year to exceed 7 metres, as well as being the best jump in the world for more than two years.
“The field today demanded superior performances. All of the ladies have been jumping really well this year so when I woke up this morning my husband, my coach and I we all kept affirming that I was ready to jump seven metres plus and that was only thing I allowed to loop in my head today,” reflected Bartoletta.
The beginning to Bartoletta’s series wasn’t as promising.
Wind hampered her approach and she jumped well behind the board on her first two attempts before she adjusted her run up by moving in closer.
It was a choice proved to be decisive.
Christabel Nettey equalled her Canadian record of 6.99m while Lorraine Ugen, of Great Britain, was just three centimetres behind her personal best of 6.89m and finished second and third respectively.
(NOTE: official confirmation of the long jump wind-readings is still pending.)
Kovacs over 22 metres again
Elsewhere on the field, 2015 world-leader Joe Kovacs posted a final round throw of 22.12m to emerge victorious in a stellar men’s shot put competition.
“The arm strength was there so it was all about setting up and timing and trusting all the work that we did previous to today,” commented Kovacs.
Kovacs and David Storl emerged as front-runners early in the enthralling competition after they were the only throwers to exceed 21 metres in the first round, Kovacs taking pole position with his opening 21.69m.
Kovacs improved to 21.72m in the second round but Storl, throwing last of the eight putter as befitting his status as the two-time world champion, took the lead with 21.80m.
The third round saw the lead switch back once again as Kovacs fired out his shot to 21.95m with Storl responding with 21.88m.
Kovacs continued his high quality series with 21.92m in the fifth round, a distance Storl equalled with his last effort, just five centimetres shy of his best and his second best put ever.
Able to relax with the final put of the competition, Kovacs then reached 22.11m, the second best distance of his life.
Friday was Kovacs’s third time this year over 22 metres this year, which puts him atop the American pecking order in an event where the US is particularly strong.
Piotr Malachowski, of Poland, won the discus competition with a sixth round throw of 65.59m. Compatriot Robert Urbanek was leading until that throw but had to settle for second with a 65.42m.
Farah continues his 10,000 win streak
Mo Farah won the men’s 10,000m in 26:50.97, and remains unbeaten over 25 laps of the track since he finished second at the 2011 IAAF World Championships, but the double Olympic, world and European champion had hoped for a faster time, perhaps under his European record of 26:46.57 which he set at Hayward Field in 2011.
“My aim was definitely to run a little faster. Training has been going pretty well so you know it’s one of those things where you might as well go for it, it’s still early on,” said Farah.
“We didn’t have a pacemaker after 5K, we had to work for it ourselves.”
Farah sprinted away from the Kenyan duo of Paul Tanui and Geoffrey Kamworor in the final 100 metres in a race that slowed slightly in the second half of the race.
Farah spoke with Tanui before the race about sharing the lead in the later laps, but they weren’t able to create the even pace needed for the fast times.
“We wanted to run a fast time and then try to win the race after that,” added Farah.
Instead, it turned into a tactical battle between Farah, Tanui and Kamworor over the final laps.
Farah made his first move with around 350 metres remaining and then put the two Kenyans away for good at the beginning of the home straight.
Tanui moved up for second in 26:51.86 and the 2015 world cross country champion Kamwowor ran a big personal best of 26:52.65 in third.
Behind them, Cam Levins set a Canadian record, running 27:07.51 for fourth place.
The men’s 5000m caused the evening’s biggest surprise as 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships gold medallist Yomif Kejelcha, of Ethiopia, sprinted away from Kenya’s Edwin Soi and USA’s Galen Rupp on the track where he won the world junior title last summer to win in 13:10.54.
The 17-year-old Kejelcha shaved almost 15 seconds off his personal best, making his winning move with 300 metres remaining, and Soi and Rupp couldn’t match his change of speed.
Soi finished second and 13:11.97 and Rupp was third in 13:12.36.
Kevin Sully for the IAAF and the IAAF Diamond League
