Taylor concludes summer schedule with dramatic final-round triple jump victory, Muir lowers own top mark in the 1,500 and Kiyeng triumphs in first race since last year’s 3,000 steeplechase World final; Duplantis, Vetter and Warholm also prevail at Continental Tour event, Stahl’s discus winning streak ends at 15

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For all that Christian Taylor has accomplished in his career, including four World titles and two Olympic gold medals in the men’s triple jump, the opportunity to compete Sunday at ISTAF Berlin ranked among the most meaningful achievements.

And Taylor made his debut at the Olympic Stadium in Germany a memorable one, not only rallying for victory with a mark of 57 feet, 7.75 inches (17.57m) on his final attempt, but adding to the world lead at the Continental Tour Silver event.

“ISTAF for me is a bucket list dream. Since 2009 I always said if I get the chance to compete here, it will be a dream come true,” Taylor told meet organizers. “In 2018, I came to support my fiancee (Beate Schrott), and I cried because it meant so much to me.

“The history, Jesse Owens is so special to me. (Saturday) it was his birthday. The history and the city, the people know so much about athletics, they are so welcoming.”

RESULTS

Taylor completed his summer outdoor schedule with a stretch of three competitions in six days, beginning Tuesday at the Ostrava Golden Spike in the Czech Republic, where he also prevailed with a sixth-round effort of 57-3.50 (17.46m).

Despite an uncharacteristic performance Friday at the P-T-S Meeting in Slovakia, resulting in a second-place finish with a mark of 54-2.75 (16.53m), Taylor rebounded well Sunday to take the lead with a third-round jump of 55-10.25 (17.02m).

Germany’s Max Heß was looking to play the role of spoiler with a 56-4 (17.17m) fifth-round effort, putting the pressure on Taylor to deliver again in the clutch after fouls in the fourth and fifth rounds.

“I knew that a (world lead) was possible today. I only needed competitions. I did not get the head-to-heads that I normally get,” Taylor said. “This is what we need to do, put on a show. We need to entertain. And in the end, the crowd was really happy.”

Taylor produced one of three world-leading marks, including Scotland’s Laura Muir improving on her own 1,500-meter effort from Aug. 23 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Stockholm.

Muir pulled away from British athlete Laura Weightman and Australia’s Jessica Hull on the third lap and continued to surge with a 62-second last 400 meters, prevailing in 3:57.40.

Muir, who ran 3:57.86 in Stockholm, also eclipsed the 2002 meet record of 3:58.43 by Turkey’s Sureyya Ayhan.

Weightman elevated to the No. 5 outdoor performer in the world this year by running 4:00.09 and Hull, representing the Nike group coached by Pete Julian, set the Australian national record by taking third in 4:00.42.

Hull, 23, eclipsed the 2018 standard of 4:00.86 achieved by Linden Hall at the Prefontaine Classic, ascending to No. 6 on the global list this season.

With her 14:43.80 performance in the 5,000 meters Aug. 14 in Monaco, Hull is the first Australian female athlete to hold both national records simultaneously since Kate Anderson-Richardson in 1996.

American Shannon Rowbury, also coached by Julian, finished fifth in 4:02.56, her best performance since 2016.

Hyvin Kiyeng won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase in a world-leading 9:06.14, with fellow Kenyan and world-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech taking second in 9:10.07. It marked the first race for Kiyeng since placing eighth in 9:13.53 at last year’s World final in Doha, Qatar.

Slovenia’s Marusa Mismas finished third in 9:20.68, lowering her own national record of 9:20.97 set at last year’s Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway. Irene van der Reijken placed sixth in 9:34.80, eclipsing the 2009 Dutch national record of 9:38.40 held by Miranda Boonstra.

It was a split decision for a pair of World champions from Germany, as 2017 javelin winner Johannes Vetter emerged victorious, with reigning women’s long jump gold medalist Malaika Mihambo unable to mount a find-round comeback, resulting in a second-place finish behind Ukraine’s Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk.

Vetter produced the six best throws in the competition, highlighted by a second-round effort of 286-3 (87.26m). Moldova’s Andrian Mardare was runner-up at 271 feet (82.61m).

Bekh-Romachuk improved on her world No. 3 outdoor mark with a third-round effort of 22-6.50 (6.87m).

Mihambo, who jumped a world-leading 23-0.75 (7.03m) on Tuesday in Dessau, achieved a fifth-round mark of 22-2.50 (6.77m), but couldn’t overtake Bekh-Romanchuk on her final attempt.

American Taliyah Brooks jumped 21-2.75 (6.47m) in the sixth round to finish eighth.

Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis had his streak of three consecutive pole vault competitions with 6-meter performances halted, still winning with a second-attempt clearance at 19-4.75 (5.91m). Duplantis was unsuccessful again in his attempts at the world outdoor record of 20-2 (6.15m).

Poland’s Piotr Lisek cleared 19-1 (5.82m) on his first attempt to place second and Brazil’s Thiago Braz da Silva achieved the height on his second try to finish third. American Sam Kendricks only cleared 18-3.25 (5.57m) and finished sixth.

Another Swedish athlete, Daniel Stahl, had his run of 15 consecutive victories in the discus throw snapped by Lithuania’s Andrius Gudzius.

Stahl, the world leader, gained an early advantage with a second-round throw of 216-2 (65.89m), but Gudzius took the lead in the third round and punctuated the competition with a sixth-round throw of 218-10 (66.72m).

Norway’s Karsten Warholm won the men’s 400 hurdles in 47.08, breaking the 1980 meet record of 47.17 held by American Edwin Moses. Estonia’s Rasmus Magi finished second in 49.22 and American David Kendziera took third in 50.28.

Ivory Coast athlete Arthur Gue Cisse won the men’s 100-meter dash in a wind-legal 10.10, with Germany’s Deniz Almas taking second in 10.25. Dutch star Dafne Schippers prevailed in the women’s 100 in 11.26, ahead of Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou (11.38).