The Diamond League meet in Paris on Friday was absolutely electrifying, and it wasn’t just the big names stealing the show! Two lesser-known athletes, Azzedine Habz and Grace Stark, completely lit up the track with some truly incredible performances, leaving many higher-profile stars in their dust.
Paris proved to be the perfect warm-up as athletes are getting ready for the World Championships in Tokyo this September.
Habz and Stark Make History
Azzedine Habz had the home crowd roaring! He put on an amazing display in the 1500m, riding the pace set by two leaders to clock an astonishing 3:27.49. That’s not just a new meeting record and a new French best – it makes him the sixth fastest man of all time over 1500m! The race was unbelievably fast, with Kenya’s Phanuel Kipkosgei Koech setting a world junior record in second place. Even more mind-blowing, 11 of the next 12 athletes all set personal bests, including new national records for the Netherlands, Belgium, and South Africa!
Then there was Grace Stark from America, who stormed to a sensational 12.21 seconds in the 100m hurdles. That time makes her the joint fifth fastest woman of all time in the event! She managed to hold off none other than Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who is the 2022 world champion and current world record holder. What a performance!
Paulino Continues Her Reign
In the women’s 400m, the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino showed why she’s a champion. She really had to dig deep in the final stretch to outpace her tough rival, Salwa Eid Naser from Bahrain. Paulino, who won gold at last year’s Paris Olympics and the 2023 World Championships, snagged her third consecutive victory at Charlety, finishing in 48.81 seconds, just four-hundredths of a second ahead of Naser.
It was a day filled with meet records and thrilling races in the perfect, hot conditions at Stade Charlety. What an exciting preview of what’s to come at the World Championships!
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