Karsten Warholm celebrated his third successive unbeaten season in the 400m hurdles at the centenary edition of the ISTAF in Berlin on Sunday (12), a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting.
Returning to the track on which he won the European title three years ago, Warholm stopped the clock at 48.08 to extend his win streak in his specialist event to extend his winning streak to 22 races. His last defeat over the hurdles dates back to 8 September 2018.
“It's always great to run here in Berlin. It's one of my favourite stadiums and one of my favourite crowds. So I wanted to come here, although my body was tired from this long season,” said Warholm, who won by a comfortable margin from Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.73) and Jamaica’s Jaheel Hyde (48.95).
“Being able to celebrate the 100th birthday of the ISTAF today means a lot to me. I love traditions and this is the most traditional meeting in the world, so it is a great honour for me to be here today and I would definitely love to be back in 2022.”
Home favourite Johannes Vetter also completed a near-unbeaten season with victory in the javelin, his fifth successive win at this meeting since 2016.
Bellowing as he released the javelin, Vetter’s best throw of the competition came in the second round as he launched the spear out to 88.76m to win by more than four metres from Moldova’s Andrian Mardare who improved to 84.44m on his last attempt.
The German concludes his season with 15 wins from his 17 competitions, including seven successive competitions over 90 metres. His only defeats of the season came at the Olympic Games and in the Paris Diamond League where Vetter lost out in the Final Three format.
“The competition was difficult and really exhausting. It was a nice competition for me, but I'm physically tired,” said Vetter, who was clutching his shoulder after his sixth round throw.
Malaika Mihambo suffered a rare defeat at the ISTAF last year and the reigning world, Olympic and European champion was pipped to victory in the long jump by Brit Jazmin Sawyers, who finished fourth behind Mihambo at the European Championships in 2018.
After failing to surpass the 6.50m line with her first four jumps, Mihambo improved to 6.70m in the fifth round only for Sawyers to take the lead in the same round with an effort which was measured at 6.73m.
“I enjoyed the stadium, and the crowd, and loved to finish my season here in Berlin. The crowd is just amazing. It always is, even last year, when the stadium was nearly empty. I am really happy with my season,” said Sawyers.
Fellow Olympic champion Mariya Lasitskene was able to finish her season on a winning note in the high jump. In a repeat of the Olympic final, Lasitskene cleared all heights up to 1.98m on her first attempts to defeat Australia’s Nicola McDermott before three unsuccessful tries at 2.02m.
“My holiday started after my last attempt. Tomorrow I will go to the town where I was born and we will celebrate my gold medal. And after that we will see...somewhere with the sea and the beach,” said Lasitskene.
Other highlights included Brit Daryll Neita winning the 100m in 11.04, Nadine Visser winning the 100m hurdles in 12.73 and two-time European champion Gesa Felicitas Krause closing her season with victory in the 3000m steeplechase in 9:26.00.
Full results here.