He ran the fourth-fastest ever outdoor 1,500m time when he timed 3:27.14 in July but he lost his world title to Britain’s Josh Kerr in Budapest in August.
Jamaican two-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah claimed the 100m in a time of 10.84sec, her best time of the summer.
In the women’s javelin, newly-crowned world champion Haruka Kitaguchi of Japan threw for a season-best and national record of 67.38m. AFP, REUTERS
BRUSSELS – Shericka Jackson believes she is “getting closer” after running the fourth-fastest 200m ever at the Brussels Diamond League on Friday, while the 35-year-old world record set by American Florence Griffith-Joyner remains frustratingly out of reach.
Jamaican sprinter Jackson, 29, clocked 21.48sec and now holds three of the four fastest times over the distance of 21.41sec, 21.45sec and Friday’s victory.
However, the 21.34sec run by Griffith-Joyner at the 1988 Olympics remains the gold standard.
“I’m very happy with my race. I really felt good, I’m convinced that this record is coming, that I’m getting closer to it,” said the two-time world champion, who beat Anthonique Strachan (22.31sec) of the Bahamas.
“It’s been a good season. I hope to get one more victory and get closer to this record,” added Jackson, who will try again to break the world record at the season-ending Diamond League finals in Eugene on Sept 16 and 17.
Pole vault star Armand Duplantis of Sweden again missed out on beating his own world record when he attempted 6.23m for the fourth time this summer.
The 23-year-old reigning Olympic and two-time world champion still won the event on Friday with a clearance of 6.10m, which is a meet record.
Once again, he was the only athlete to go higher than six metres. Sam Kendricks of the United States and EJ Obiena of the Philippines were second and third with 5.92m.
“I had it in me to jump the world record today and I really thought I was going to do it. It’s a shame but my jumps were lousy,” admitted Duplantis.
Meanwhile, Jakob Ingebrigtsen set the first outdoor world record of his career in the little-run 2,000m.
The 22-year-old ran 4min 43.13sec to smash a record set in 1999 – before he was born – by Moroccan great Hicham El Guerrouj, by more than a second and a half.
The 2,000m is not on the Olympic or World Championships programme, but the Norwegian said: “It’s always fun to break a record.
“I think I’m at a point in my career where I can challenge all the records as well. So that’s going to continue to be the goal in the future.”
Ingebrigtsen is the reigning Olympic champion in the 1,500m and has held the world indoor record at the distance since February 2022 when he ran 3:30.60.
