Hassan runs sub-4:15 for third time, Duplantis achieves seventh 6-meter clearance outdoors and Niyonsaba continues to show impressive range with 5,000 victory; Monson elevates to No. 4 all-time in U.S. in 5,000, Cranny and Norris both move into top 10 Americans in mile and Cherry runs 44.03 in 400

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Armand “Mondo” Duplantis produced his best pole vault clearance since June.

Sifan Hassan achieved her third top five all-time mile performance.

And Francine Niyonsaba prevailed again in another dramatic finish with Ejgayehu Taye in the women’s 5,000 meters to highlight several impressive performances Friday at the Memorial van Damme, the annual Diamond League meeting at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

Duplantis, the Olympic gold medalist representing Sweden, cleared 19 feet, 10.25 inches (6.05m) on his third attempt to produce his seventh 6-meter effort during the outdoor season and 11th overall for the year.

After three athletes produced 6-meter performances indoors, Duplantis remains the only competitor to reach the height outdoors this year. He again took attempts at a potential world record 20-3.75 (6.19m), but his effort was the top performance for Duplantis since achieving a 20-foot clearance (6.10m) on June 6 in The Netherlands.

Americans Chris Nilsen, the Olympic silver medalist, and Tokyo fourth-place finisher KC Lightfoot both cleared 19-2.25 (5.85m). Nilsen placed second overall with a first-attempt clearance, with Lightfoot taking third after needing three attempts to make the height.

Hassan, the double Olympic gold medalist in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters in addition to her bronze in the 1,500, ran a world-leading 4:14.74 in the mile.

It marked the fifth-fastest performance in history, with Hassan also holding the world record at 4:12.33 from 2019 in Monaco, along with a 4:14.71 effort from 2018 in London. She is the only athlete with three sub-4:15 performances in her career.

Ethiopia’s Axumawit Embaye was second in 4:21.08, with Linden Hall eclipsing her own Australian national record from 2018 in London by clocking 4:21.38 to take third.

Elise Cranny, representing Nike Bowerman Track Club, finished fifth in 4:21.90 and fellow American Josette Norris, competing for Reebok Boston Track Club, secured sixth in 4:22.71. It marked only the fourth time a pair of U.S. competitors both ran sub-4:23 in the same race, including the first since 2018.

Cranny elevated to the No. 9 all-time American competitor, with Norris ascending to 10th in U.S. history.

Niyonsaba moved from fourth place in the final 200, relying on her middle-distance background to surge past Taye and triumph by a 14:25.34 to 14:25.63 margin.

Niyonsaba set the national record for Burundi and improved to the No. 16 all-time competitor. Taye, representing Ethiopia, already ranks No. 6 in history and third-place Hellen Obiri of Kenya (14:26.23) remains the No. 9 all-time performer.

Fellow Kenyan Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi produced a slight improvement on her personal best, running 14:27.12 and ranking 20th in history.

Alicia Monson, competing for On Athletics Club, lowered her top U.S. mark this season to place ninth overall in 14:42.56, elevating to the No. 4 all-time American competitor.

Fred Kerley, the Olympic silver medalist, led a U.S. sweep of the top three spots in the men’s 100-meter dash, clocking a wind-legal 9.94. Trayvon Bromell (9.97) and Michael Norman (9.98) were second and third.

All three members of the Olympic women’s high jump podium achieved 2-meter clearances again, with Tokyo bronze medalist Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine earning the victory Friday with a 6-7.50 (2.02m) effort.

Olympic gold medalist Mariya Lasitskene and Tokyo runner-up Nicola McDermott both cleared 6-6.75 (2.00m) on Friday. Lasitskene, an authorized neutral athlete from Russia, took second overall based on fewer misses at earlier heights against Australian standout McDermott.

American Michael Cherry triumphed in the men’s 400 in a personal-best 44.03, ascending to the No. 13 all-time U.S. competitor.

Kirani James of Grenada was second in 44.51, with Isaac Makwala of Botswana clocking 44.83 to place third.

American Steffin McCarter secured a dramatic victory in the men’s long jump with a wind-legal 26-2.75 (7.99m) performance in the sixth round. South African Ruswahl Samaai led following his opening jump of 26-1 (7.95m), but only managed a leap of 25-10.75 (7.89m) in the final round.

Christine Mboma of Namibia, the Olympic silver medalist in the women’s 200, emerged victorious in 21.84, with Tokyo 100-meter bronze medalist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica finishing second in 21.95.

British standout Dina Asher-Smith took third in 22.04, with American Sha’Carri Richardson finishing fourth in 22.45.

Kenyan Ferguson Rotich, the Olympic silver medalist in the men’s 800, produced a dominant effort to win in 1:43.81.

Jamaican Natoya Goule won the women’s 800, followed by British athletes Keely Hodgkinson (1:58.16) and Jemma Reekie (1:58.77). American Kate Grace finished fifth in 1:59.22.

Australian athletes Stewart McSweyn (3:33.20) and Oliver Hoare (3:33.79), representing On Athletics Club, secured the top two spots in the men’s 1,500. Poland’s Michal Rozmys placed third in 3:33.96.

Alison dos Santos of Brazil, the Olympic bronze medalist in the men’s 400-meter hurdles, edged Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands by a 48.23 to 48.31 margin.

Dutch competitor Nadine Visser held off Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan by a 12.681 to 12.689 margin in the women’s 100 hurdles, with Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper taking third in 12.77. American Gabbi Cunningham finished fifth in 12.89.

Camille Laus of Belgium (52.34) held off Dutch athlete Eveline Saalberg (52.38) in the women’s 400.

In discus competition held Wednesday, Olympic gold medalist Daniel Stahl of Sweden produced the top mark of 227-4 (69.31m) on his opening throw, then secured the victory with a sixth-round effort of 219-10 (67.01m).

Although Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh achieved a fifth-round effort of 215-6 (65.68m), he fouled in the sixth round, allowing Jamaican Fedrick Dacres to place second overall. Dacres had a fifth-round throw of 213-9 (65.17m) and followed with a sixth-round performance of 202-7 (61.75m).

Tokyo women’s bronze medalist Yaime Perez of Cuba edged Olympic champion Valarie Allman of the U.S. by a one-inch margin in the deciding sixth round, prevailing with a 208-foot effort (63.41m) to 207-11 (63.38m) for Allman.

Perez had the best throw in the competition with a second-round effort of 218-1 (66.47m). Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic, fourth place in Tokyo, had a third-round throw of 213-8 (65.14m), but fouled in the sixth round, allowing Allman to place second overall after throwing 210-9 (64.25m) in the third round.