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Serem Cheruiyot secure podium finishes as Duplantis suffers shock defeat in Stockholm
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 08.06.26. | 08:40
The standout performance of the meeting came in the women’s 800m, where Switzerland’s Audrey Werro produced one of the fastest times in history
Edmund Serem and Timothy Cheruiyot delivered podium finishes at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday, 7 June, as home favourite Armand “Mondo” Duplantis saw his remarkable winning streak come to an end in a dramatic evening of athletics in Sweden.
Duplantis failed in his latest attempt to break the pole vault world record and suffered his first defeat in 40 competitions, with Australia’s Kurtis Marschall claiming victory after clearing 5.90 metres on his third attempt.
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Competing before an expectant home crowd, Duplantis had targeted a 16th world-record improvement beyond his current mark of 6.31m.
However, the Swede endured an uncharacteristically difficult outing, needing two attempts to clear 5.60m before comfortably negotiating 5.80m.
The 26-year-old then failed twice at six metres and could not clear 6.05m in a final gamble for victory, handing Marschall the biggest win of his career.
Duplantis later admitted that his focus may have been partly on his upcoming wedding.
While Duplantis endured disappointment in the field, Kenya enjoyed success on the track through Serem and Cheruiyot.
In the men’s 3000m steeplechase, world champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco produced another commanding performance to win in 8:10.40.
Serem followed closely in second place, clocking 8:12.27, while compatriot Abraham Kibiwot completed the podium in third with 8:12.75.
Simon Kiprop Koech also finished strongly for Kenya, placing sixth in 8:13.40 in a tightly contested race that saw the top six athletes separated by just three seconds.
Former world champion Timothy Cheruiyot secured another podium finish in the men’s 1500m, crossing the line third in 3:30.67.
American Yared Nuguse claimed victory in 3:30.11 ahead of Australia’s Cameron Myers, who clocked 3:30.32.
Cheruiyot remained in contention throughout the race and held off a strong challenge from a quality field that included Vincent Ciattei, Narve Gilje Nordås and Hobbs Kessler.
The standout performance of the meeting came in the women’s 800m, where Switzerland’s Audrey Werro produced one of the fastest times in history.
The 21-year-old stormed to victory in 1:53.98, becoming the third-fastest woman ever over the distance.
Her remarkable run shattered her previous personal best by nearly two seconds and saw her break the Diamond League record, meet record, Swiss national record and set a new world-leading mark.
Only world record holder Jarmila Kratochvílová (1:53.28) and Kenya’s former Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo (1:53.82) have ever run faster.
British Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson also impressed with a season-best 1:54.33 but had to settle for second place as Werro powered away in the closing stages.
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American Roisin Willis completed the podium in a personal best of 1:57.56.
Elsewhere, world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden continued her impressive form by winning the women’s 100m in 10.84 seconds, while American Kenny Bednarek dominated the men’s 200m in 19.87, the only athlete in the field to break the 20-second barrier.