Lasitskene wins 45th straight in high jump, Semenya extends 800-meter run to 37 in a row with fourth-fastest time in history

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

When it comes to the two most dominant active streaks in track and field, Saturday’s results in Paris at the annual Diamond League meeting reaffirmed they might not be coming to an end any time soon.

Maria Lasitskene, an authorized neutral athlete from Russia, secured her 45th consecutive victory in the high jump with a meet-record 6 feet, 8.25 inches (2.04m), increasing her own world-leading height.

South Africa’s Caster Semenya won her 37th straight 800-meter race by clocking 1 minute, 54.25, an all-time Diamond League record and the fourth-fastest time in history.

Although Lasitskene has accumulated more victories during her unbeaten run, Semenya’s streak has actually spanned a longer amount of time.

Lasitskene’s stretch of success is exactly two years old. Her last loss was June 23, 2016 at the Russian National Championships in Cheboksary and she began the streak July 1 in Smolensk, finishing the year with three straight wins.

Lasitskene added 24 more victories last year and remained unbeaten in 18 competitions this year by clearing at least 6-8.25 outdoors for the fourth time in her career. Her personal best remains 6-9 (2.06m) from last year in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Lasitskene boasts five of the top seven clearances in the world this year, including the top three. She had the top six marks in the world last year and 13 of the top 15 clearances.

Semenya’s last loss in the 800 was an eighth-place finish Sept. 6, 2015 in Berlin. She rebounded with two victories that year to begin her impressive run, which includes qualifying rounds and finals.

Semenya is unbeaten in 17 races this year ranging from 400 to 1,500, including seven victories in the 800. Since a third-place finish in the 1,500 at last year’s IAAF World Championships in London, Semenya has won 22 consecutive races overall at any distance, including a world record Aug. 27 in the 600 by clocking 1:21.77 in Berlin.

Semenya boasts the world-leading mark this year in the 800 and four of the top nine performances overall. Last year, Semenya had the top two efforts and four of the top seven in the world, and in 2016, the reigning Olympic and world gold medalist produced the top three times and six of the top eight globally.

Without an Olympic or World Championship competition this summer, the only thing that remains to be seen during the Diamond League schedule is whether Lasitskene or Semenya will take aim at their respective world records.

Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova has held the high jump world record of 6-10.25 (2.09m) since 1987. Lasitskene is the only athlete to clear at least 6-9 since 2009.

The 800 world record has stood even longer, with Jarmila Kratochvilova of the Czech Republic clocking 1:53.28 in 1983. Semenya’s effort Saturday was the fastest by any athlete since Kenya’s Pamela Jelimo ran 1:54.01 in 2008.