Double European champions Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Femke Bol were in winning form at the Lausanne Diamond League on Thursday (22) evening, taking victories in their specialist events with meeting record performances.
Ingebrigtsen delivered a trademark performance in the 1500m, hitting the front and pulling away imperceptibly in the last 300 metres for victory in 3:27.83, taking almost one second off his previous meeting record of 3:28.72.
Among those left trailing behind Ingebrigtsen, who faded to fourth in the Olympic 1500m final before returning with renewed vigour with 5000m gold, was the newly crowned 1500m champion Cole Hocker who was a distant second in 3:29.85.
“It’s been almost two weeks since Paris so there was plenty of time to recover. For me a lot of it has been mental including going home, taking some easy days and then getting back to work.
“Tonight's race gave me good answers and I'm looking forward to building on this for my next race on Sunday and the rest of the season,” said Ingebrigtsen who steps up in distance to contest the 3000m in Silesia on Sunday afternoon.
Jochem Vermeulen, who won 1500m silver behind Ingebrigtsen in Roma 2024, was sixth in a Belgian record of 3:31.74.
In the 400m hurdles, reigning world and European champion Femke Bol from the Netherlands also smashed her meeting record of 52.76 with victory in 52.25.
In her first individual race since winning Olympic bronze in Paris, the Dutchwoman overhauled Jamaica’s fast-starting Rushell Clayton at the top of the home straight before flowing over the last two flights of barriers, pulling clear and winning by over one second from Clayton in 53.32.
Hudson-Smith breaks 44 seconds again; Asher-Smith back to form
Matthew Hudson-Smith showed no obvious signs of fatigue after a heavy and demanding Olympic schedule, breaking the 44 second-barrier again for victory in the 400m.
After five races at the Olympic Games which yielded two Olympic medals and European records in both the 400m and 4x400m, Hudson-Smith had to fight hard for the victory, winning 43.96 ahead of the fast-finishing Olympic bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga in 44.06.
“I want to consistently be one of the best ever and run consistently under 44 seconds. My goal is to win the Olympic gold and to be mentioned alongside Michael Johnson and Jeremy Wariner,” said Hudson-Smith who moved just ahead of Wariner on the world all-time list with 43.44 to win Olympic 400m silver in Paris.
Dina Asher-Smith was bitterly disappointed to miss out on a place in the Olympic 100m final in Paris but the European champion was back to her best in the short sprint, flowing to a comfortable victory in a season’s best of 10.88 - just 0.05 shy of her British record - ahead of Tamari Davis (10.97) and Switzerland’s European 200m champion Mujinga Kambundji (11.06).
“After the Olympics I took some time to refocus and now I’m just enjoying running, feeling fit and injury free.
“I’m excited to push on to the two next meets in Silesia and Zurich where the track and atmosphere were amazing. Plus there's always chocolate,” said Asher-Smith.
Asher-Smith took her second victory of the night in the 4x100m, leading off the British 4x100m team which won in a meeting record of 42.03 ahead of Switzerland in 42.16.
Full results here.
Steven Mills for European Athletics