Hedda Hynne won a high quality 800m at the Gala dei Castelli in Bellinzona on Tuesday (15) evening, a World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, winning in a world lead and Norwegian record of 1:58.10 and leading three other women under the 1:59-barrier.
Hynne positioned herself on the shoulder of Jemma Reekie as they rounded in the home straight before powering past the double European U23 champion with 60 metres remaining to register arguably the most significant win of her career. She also handed Reekie her first defeat of the season over 800m as well as relieving the Brit of the world lead.
Selina Buchel rekindled some of the form which brought her back-to-back European indoor titles, finishing a close second to Hynne in 1:58.37 - her fastest time since her breakthrough year in 2015. She was pursued to the line by her compatriot Lore Hoffmann, the winner of the Swiss 800m title ahead of Buchel last weekend, who shattered through the two minute-barrier for the first time in third in 1:58.50.
Reekie tied up slightly in the home straight but she only just missed her outdoor lifetime best of 1:58.63, finishing fourth in 1:58.87 for her fourth successive sub-two minute clocking outdoors in 2020.
The Gala dei Castelli also produced the highest quality women’s 400m hurdles of the season. European U20 champion Femke Bol extended her unbeaten streak, winning in the second fastest time of her career of 54.33 ahead of her training partner Lea Sprunger. The European champion became just the second woman to break the 55 second-barrier this season with 54.98 with Ukraine’s Viktoriya Tkachuk third in 55.15.
Bol, who holds the five fastest times in the world this season including the world lead with 53.79, will close her season in the Rome Diamond League on Thursday evening.
European indoor champion Nadine Visser added to the Dutch success in the 100m hurdles in Bellinzona, prevailing in a close tussle with Italy’s Luminosa Bogliolo - 12.79 to 12.82. Lieke Klaver also won the 200m in 22.96 ahead of her compatriot Marije Van Hunenstijn in 23.01.
Dafne Schippers, who has been struggling with a persistent back injury this summer, had to settle for fourth in the women’s 100m in 11.42 in a race won by the Dutch-based Swiss Ajla Del Ponte in 11.18. Del Ponte has won 14 of her 15 100m races this summer, including back-to-back wins on the Diamond League circuit in Monaco and Stockholm.
European finalist Filippo Tortu from Italy has raced sparingly this season due to injury but the 22-year-old produced some of his best form this evening. Tortu couldn’t quite get onto level terms with South Africa’s perennial sub-10 second performer Akani Simbine in the adjacent lane but Tortu was rewarded with a European leading time of 10.07 behind Simbine’s 10.02.
Finland’s Kristian Pulli produced a sixth round jump of 8.08m to win the long jump from South Africa’s Ruswahl Samaai who led from the third round with 8.04m and Sweden’s Michaela Meijer produced a third-time clearance at 4.70m to defeat Angelica Moser by one clear height in the women’s pole vault.
Full results here.