Malik James-King, Jamaica’s national 400-meter hurdles champion, showed significant improvement in his second Diamond League meet of the season, securing a podium finish at the Meeting De Paris in France on Sunday.
James-King, who was fifth in his first Diamond League outing of the season, demonstrated his competitive edge and resilience.
Racing from the outer Lane Seven, James-King was in fifth place as he approached the final bend, but in a display of determination and speed, he surged forward in the straight, clocking 48.37 seconds to clinch third place. Allison Dos Santos of Brazil won the event with a time of 47.78 seconds, while Rasmus Magi of Estonia finished second with a season’s best of 47.95 seconds.
In the women’s high jump, national champion Lamara Distin made her Diamond League debut, finishing fourth in a highly competitive field. The event saw a world-record performance from Ukraine’s Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh, who cleared 2.10 metres. Distin managed a respectable 1.95 meters, placing behind Nicola Olyslagers of Australia (2.01 meters) and Angelina Topić of Serbia, who equaled her national record with a jump of 1.98 meters.
Extraordinary performances
The Paris meet also witnessed extraordinary performances in other events. Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon set a new world record in the women’s 1500 meters, finishing with an astounding time of 3:49.04 minutes. Jessica Hull of Australia set a new national record with 3:50.83 minutes, securing second place, while Great Britain’s Laura Muir finished third, also breaking her national record with a time of 3:53.79 minutes.
World 400-metre champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic continued her Olympic preparations with a dominant victory in the 400 meters, clocking a season’s best of 49.20 seconds. The race for second and third was tightly contested, with Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek narrowly edging out Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain; both athletes recorded season’s best times of 49.92 seconds.
In the men’s 800 meters, Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati delivered a world-leading time and a national record of 1:41.56 minutes. Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi finished close behind with a personal best of 1:41.58 minutes, while Gabriel Tual of France secured third place with a national record time of 1:41.61 minutes.
