Live Samsung Diamond League: Paris

Well, that was an exciting evening. Some great performances, notably Pearson and Rudisha. Some fantastic times. There’s another meeting coming up on the 14th July. Things are building up just nicely for the London Olympics.

Thank you to everyone who had a read and who tweeted. This was fun! Goodnight!

Apparently there were huge cheers in the press box when Gatlin got beaten. So much for a neutral press then? Can’t say I blame them though. Gatlin probably has very few friends in the media who love athletics, and especially love a clean athletics.

It’s been a good evening. The 400m hurdles was very exciting, Rudisha was extraordinary, Pearson on fire. A truly excellent 5000m too. Five world leading performances this evening. And Gay’s win means that he can only continue improving after his injury.

20.52

Lots of people on Twitter seem happy to see Gay beat Gatlin.

Gay is back. ‘Athletics world cheers’ is the response of the editor of Athletics Weekly magazine, Jason Henderson.

It was quite a poor start from Gay, and Gatlin was a long way ahead.

Gatlin ran 10.03 and Lemaitre 10.08.

20.50

Gatlin got away quickly. Gatlin and Gay battle to the finish. Gay gets it. Lemaitre may have third.

Gatlin beaten by Gay in the 110m. Gay is returning to form after his injury. 9.99 for Gay.

Joining him is Christophe Lemaitre in front of his home crowd. Also, Tyson Gay of the USA.

Richard Thompson also runs. He got two silver medals in Beijing.

I’m sure this will be a thrilling race.

I have very strong feelings about athletes taking drugs, and Gatlin maintains he never knowingly took drugs.

Do drugs linger in an athlete’s body? Do they always have an advantage?

Whatever the case, Gatlin will be competing in the Olympics, alongside Chambers. In some ways, it is harder to enjoy Gatlin and Chamber’s achievements because of their drug taking, but the 100m final in the Olympics will definitely be more exciting with Gatlin in it. He has run some great times this year, and looks to continue improving.

20.41

200m to go.

Leads by 30m even with a great field behind him. Still working hard. Can he do it?

1.41.55 and it’s not a world record. It is a world best, but not quite what he wanted. Absolutely annihilated the rest of the field though. Such an extraordinary athlete.

David Rudisha was just competing against himself in that race. Would not surprise me if he does beat his own world record later this year. Perhaps in London?

Rudisha is heading straight out at the front. Dramatic music is playing through the stadium. A great atmosphere building in the Stade de Paris.

49.37 through the first 400m.

The current world record, held by Rudisha is 1.41.01. This is the time to look out for.

Finn Doherty is predicting 1.40.96 on Twitter. But can he do it?

20.34

There’s always a lot of hype over a 100m race, but I think people are getting most excited for the 800m. So much so, that I can’t stop typing about it.

Only one field competition ongoing – the javelin.

85.67 in the javelin by Pyatntsya of Ukraine. He’ll take the lead.

Just wondering how everyone seems to know that Rudisha is looking for a fast time. Would be far more exciting if he just went and did it, and an anti-climax if he doesn’t. I think everyone has very high expectations now.

In that very quick 5000m, it turns out Hagos Gebrhiwet has set a world junior record at 12.47.53 and finished in second place. Definitely one to watch out for.

We’re slowly approaching the main events. The 110m hurdles was excellent. Pearson is an extraordinary talent. Still the men’s 800m and 100m to go. Can Rudisha really run a world record as it is rumoured he is attempting? Can Gatlin beat his personal best even more so?

The 800m is next and it’s set to be very exciting. Do not turn away from the Diamond League.

20.26

Lining up now for the hurdles.

Sally Pearson is the world number one with 12.49 this year.

12.40 for Sally Pearson! What a fantastic run.

Sally Pearson wins the 110m hurdles in 12.40. 

She has run 12.40 three times, and it is the fastest time in the world.

Tiffany Porter got third place.

20.21

I imagine that 5000m race has given Mo Farah plenty to think about. Knocking about 10 seconds off his world leading time. More positively, Bekele doesn’t seem in great form, but the Ethiopians continue to challenge.

The women’s 100m hurdles is coming up soon with Sally Pearson. She will be challenged by Danielle Carruthers, Kristi Castlin and Tiffany Porter.

Sokolova wins the long jump with 6.70, her only valid jump.

Lowe wins the high jump competition.

Lowe does an excellent dance to celebrate. Very Usain Bolt-esque.

Kenenisa Bekele ran 12.55.79 in the 5000m and still finished 9th. What a race it’s going to be in London.

Sally Pearson has stepped onto the track for the women’s 110m hurdles. She appears to be an almost guaranteed gold medalist at the Olympic games, but the battle for silver and bronze is less certain.

Still lots of suggestions that David Rudisha will be going for a world record in the 800m. Very exciting.

Shara Proctor has just jumped in the long jump. She’s in second place. 6.63, needing 6.70 to go into the lead.

20.12

The world leading time has been smashed.

Dejen Gebremeskel wins the 5000m in 12.46.81, beating his personal best.

Farah’s leading time is under threat.

Seven men at the front.

The bell at 11.52, it’s still going to be fast and likely to be a world leading time.

20.08

5000m is proving to be a very quick race, although there’s currently no footage with the focus on the field events.

Kenenisa Bekele is struggling at the back of the first group.

They’ve hit 10.19.54 for 4000m.

Wonderful image of Culson and Greene after their 400m hurdles race.

This is a very quick race. The world leading time set by Farah is 12.56.98.

Kenenisa Bekele is currently back in 8th place, but staying with the front of the field.

1200m has been run in 3.03.91.

19.59

Renaud Lavillenie wins the pole vault with 5.77 and I don’t think anyone is really that surprised.

400m split in the 5000m is 58.1.

Koech continues: ‘my country is not trusting my results, maybe it is time to consider other options’.

On behalf of athletics fans everywhere: please don’t stop running!

Koech is excellent everywhere in the world, just not in Kenya. It seems proving himself in Kenya is very important for selection though. He must make the Olympics, it will not be the same without him.

Men’s 5000m now and it’s a very strong field. Many men in this field have leading times in the world this year. Incidentally, it’s Britain’s Mo Farah with the fastest time this year, but he is not running in Paris tonight.

Koech has said on his steeplechase win: ‘this win means a lot to me. I feel enough courage to continue to compete’.

19.53

Connor Vigil says on Twitter: ‘I really think David Rudisha is gunna [sic] run under 1:40 for the 800 at Diamond League. If not at the Olympic Games’.

It will definitely be an incredibly exciting race.

Ahoure of the Ivory Coast wins the women’s 200m in 22.55.

Bianca Knight in second. Williams in third with a season’s best.

Jarrod Banniser is currently leading the javelin with a season’s best of 83.70.

200m underway.

Aleen Bailey of Jamaica who won gold in the women’s relay in Beijing.

Murielle Ahoure will be one to look out for. But it’s a sad looking line-up without Richards-Ross, Felix and Fraser-Pryce.

Five women were under 4 minutes in the 1500m.

Colin Philip says on Twitter ‘good timing for Dai Greene to be knocking in PBs’.

Next, the women’s 200m. It’s not a top line up and missing some big names.

Final 200m now. The current world leader is in third, and a distance away from second and first place.

3.56.17 – it’s a new world leading time for Mariem Alaoui Selsouli! 

It’s looking like they could make sub-4 minutes here if they keep up this pace.

Lisa Dobriskey is running for Great Britain in this race. She has been selected for the Olympics, but has had to recover from blood clots in her lungs to get to this stage.

Abeba Aregawi is the world leader and running here.

The runners are going well with the pace maker, and the big names are up in front.

19.39

A false start in the 1500m! Very surprising.

Doesn’t look as though anyone’s getting disqualified.

Javier Culson, fresh from his 47.78 says “I had a better start and first part in Oslo.” Well, if he can put the two parts together, he’s looking at some very quick times later this year.

It’s the women’s 1500m now. The best Americans and Russians are not in this race, but it should still be incredibly exciting.

Koech has already been so close to the world record. Just been looking at the times. Shaheen’s world record from 2004 stands at 7.53.63. Koech’s best from this year 7.54.31, which is also his personal best. He ran that on the 5th June this year.

Koech will take some beating in London, is the BBC’s assessment.

Koech’s time is a meeting record.

Koech wins the 3000m men’s steeplechase in 8.00.57. So close to the sub-8 minutes. Koech more than proves himself here, and he must get selection for the Olympics, surely? It would be a poorer steeplechase in the Olympics without him.

The second 1000m was run in 2.44.

Emily Evans says on Twitter: ‘I really hope Koech can get Olympic selection. He reallu deserves it’. He definitely does.

Doesn’t look like sub-8 minutes will be broken.

Bell lap at 7.00.7. Tense into the finish.

Koech is in the lead at the half way point.

It will have to be a great finish to beat the world record, but Koech is a good finisher.

Meanwhile, the pole vault is underway and European champion, France’s Lavillenie, is the current leader at 5.62m.

Saif Saaeed Shaheen’s world record is definitely under threat in the steeplechase, but this is the period where they will have to continue to push hard.

The world record is 7.53.63, set in 2004. But they appear to be drifting slightly off the pace.

The steeplechase men are on target to hit a sub-8 minute race. 1000m in 2.37.85.

Koech has a world leading time, and yet missed out of Olympic selection in the Kenyan trials. Completely baffling, but he’s been given an opportunity to push for a place here.

It is believed that the men’s steeplechase is looking for a world record pace. Could be a thrilling finish to the race if this is the case.

There are a few pacemakers. Paul Koech came seventh in the Kenyan trials, but was not born at altitude like many Kenyan athletes and so struggled in those conditions. He will be looking for a quick time in this race to prove his worth for the Olympics.

Leevan Sands has won the triple jump with 17.23m. 

Ohuruogo ran a season’s best of 50.59, so she’s coming into form.

3000m men’s steeplechase next.

Dan O’Connor asks on Twitter “is there anything more meaningless and less significant of who’s actually the best in the world than the Diamond League standings?” He probably has a point, since not all of the best athletes in the world are present for every meet.

Athletes definitely have different types of meetings that they prefer, and whilst some enjoy the large crowds at Diamond League meetings (and the money), others may enjoy smaller crowds more locally.

Gavin Nicholls says on Twitter that it was a “good run by Dai Greene, didn’t think he was in that sort of form.”

Montsho wins the 400m in 49.77. 

Ohuruogo is heading towards sub-50 seconds times. She’s only broken it twice, but it happened when she won the world championships and the Beijing Olympics. Can she get it right when it matters in London too?

Only two women in this line up have a season’s best under 50 seconds. Antonina Krivoshapka of Russia has the world leading time of 49.16 set only yesterday. She’s not here, but the other athletes will certainly be targeting that time.

Ohuruogo gets off to a good start.

Next event on the track is the women’s 400m. Ohuruogo, reigning Olympic champion, is Britain’s interest in this race. It’s not the best possible field, but Ohuruogo will be looking to find a season’s best here.

Dai Greene was 0.02 outside a national record, held by Kriss Akubussi. Dai Greene is back, and he might just do something very special in London on this kind of form.

Dai Greene ran a personal best of 47.84. Leading up to the Olympics, he couldn’t be coming into form at a better time for Great Britain.

Culson in the lead but Greene has a good finish.

Close between Culson and Greene, but Culson wins. Looks like Greene is finding some much-needed form though.

Culson wins the 400m hurdles in a new world leading time of 47.80. 

Jackson starts well. Culson is racing away from the rest of the field.

Brief problem with the start. It’s quite a wet track, but it appears to be brightening up in Paris.

It’s the 400m hurdles, with a pretty decent line up. Javier Culson is unbeaten this year. Dai Greene – current world champion – is also in the field, currently enjoying a can of Red Bull (product placement alert!)

The 400m hurdles is coming up, and it’s going to be a very exciting race, with Dai Greene, Bershawn Jackson and Javier Culson.

While the tennis is still going on, and before the BBC’s coverage starts, we’ve had some results. Canada’s Dylan Armstrong has taken the shot put competition with a throw of 20.54m, whilst Australia’s Dani Samuels has won the discus.