Harrison holds off Rollins-McNeal in first matchup since 2016; Lyles, Morris also victorious in Diamond League opener

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The last time Keni Harrison and Brianna Rollins-McNeal were on the same track competing in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, it was July 22, 2016 at the Muller Anniversary Games in London.

Harrison broke the world record by running a wind-legal 12.20 seconds. Rollins-McNeal was second at 12.58.

Harrison went on to win three more Diamond League races that summer. Without Harrison in the field, Rollins-McNeal captured Olympic gold in 12.48 and led the first American medal sweep in the event.

More than 21 months later, the two American stars renewed acquaintances Friday at the opening Diamond League meeting in Doha, Qatar.

Although Rollins-McNeal built a lead at the midway point, Harrison surged over the final two hurdles and prevailed by a 12.53 to 12.58 margin, with Sharika Nelvis placing third in 12.75. Harrison still boasts the fastest time in the world this year under all conditions with her wind-aided 12.37 effort at the 109th Drake Relays, with Rollins-McNeal boasting the wind-legal world lead at 12.43.

The last time Rollins-McNeal defeated Harrison was July 8, 2016 in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials, prevailing by a 12.34 to 12.62 margin.

Harrison was one of three Americans to secure a victory Friday, with Noah Lyles running a lifetime-best 19.83 seconds in the men’s 200 to elevate to No. 3 in the world this year. Lyles ran equal to the No. 12 performer in American history.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards took second in 19.99 and reigning IAAF World Outdoor champion Ramil Guliyev of Turkey placed third in 20.11.

Sandi Morris followed her pole vault meet record at the Drake Relays by adding to her own mark in Doha, clearing 15-10.50 (4.84m) to improve on her 2016 record of 15-10 (4.83m).

British vaulter Holly Bradshaw and American Katie Nageotte were among five athletes to clear 15-2.75 (4.64m), along with Greece’s Katerina Stefanidi, the reigning Olympic and World Outdoor champion.

The most impressive javelin competition in history took place, dominated by German standouts Thomas Rohler, Johannes Vetter and Andreas Hofmann, who became the first trio to all surpass 90 meters in the same competition.

Rohler prevailed with a second-round effort of 301-1 (91.78m), the second-longest throw of his career. Rohler joined Vetter and world-record holder Jan Zelezny of the Czech Republic as the only athletes in history with three or more throws of at least 300 feet.

Vetter, who boasts a world-leading 304-1 (92.70m) from March 11, finished second at 300-4 (91.56m), the fourth-best mark of his career. Hofmann took third at 295-6 (90.08m) to complete the German podium sweep.

Two of the top four triple jumpers in history squared off, with Cuba’s Pedro Pablo Pichardo edging reigning Olympic and World Outdoor champion Christian Taylor, as the athletes produced the top two marks of the year.

Pichardo’s third attempt of 58-10.75 (17.95m) was enough to hold off Taylor’s 58-5.25 (17.81m) in the same round.

Local hero Mutaz Essa Barshim repeated as men’s high jump champion, clearing a world-leading 7-8.25 (2.36m). Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic also improved on her world lead in the discus throw with a 234-2 (71.38m) performance, just one inch shy of her personal-best mark from July in Switzerland and improving on her own meet and Diamond League records.

In addition to the world leaders in the field events, there were also several more on the track, led by another Qatari star, Abderrahman Samba, who set meet and Diamond League records by clocking a personal-best 47.57 in the men’s 400-meter hurdles.

Samba, who took down the 2010 Diamond League record of 47.62 set by Bershawn Jackson, improved to the No. 18 performer in history. Jackson placed second Friday in 49.08.

Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas produced a meet record in the 400 with a world-leading 43.87, producing a second national-record performance in less than a month after a 19.75 effort April 7 in the 200.

Qatar’s Abdalleleh Haroun took second in 44.50 and Botswana’s Isaac Makwala, the Commonwealth Games champion, placed third in 44.92.

South Africa’s Caster Semenya lowered her own national record in the 1,500 by clocking 3:59.92. Kenya’s Nelly Jepkosgei took second in 4:00.99 and Ethiopia’s Habitam Alemu placed third in 4:01.41.

Ivory Coast sprinter Marie-Josee Ta Lou ran a wind-legal 10.85 in the women’s 100, leading five athletes under 11 seconds with her world-leading effort.

Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui led a Kenyan podium sweep in the women’s 3,000, clocking 8:29.05. Jenny Simpson, who set the American 2-mile record one week ago at Drake Relays, placed fourth in 8:30.83.

Former UTEP standout and Kenyan distance runner Emmanuel Korir won the men’s 800 in 1:45.21, with Ethiopia’s Taresa Tolosa capturing the men’s 1,500 in 3:35.07 and fellow countryman Chala Beyo taking the men’s 3,000 steeplechase in 8:13.71.