Brussels (AFP)

Namibian Christine Mboma, a specialist in the 400m who moved to the 200m because of the regulation on hyperandrogenic athletes, again set a good lap on the half-lap (21 sec 84) while Armand Duplantis still went very high pole (6.05 m), Friday during the Brussels Diamond League meeting.

In a well-stocked King-Baudouin stadium (nearly 30,000 spectators) and a very warm atmosphere, Mboma signed an impressive success, in line with his incredible performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games (2nd in 21 sec 81), ahead of sacred sizes like the Jamaican Shericka Jackson (21 sec 95), 3rd in the 100m of the Olympics, and the Briton Dina Asher-Smith, world gold medalist in 2019 (22 sec 04).

In the space of four months, the 18-year-old runner has simply transformed, establishing herself as one of the top 200m when she only discovered this distance in May and that his technique, especially at the start, remains rudimentary.

Become the 7th performer of all time over 400m in June to everyone's surprise, she was prevented from playing the Olympics on the lap since the International Federation prohibits athletes with "differences in sexual development" (DSD) and high testosterone from running the international 400m per mile except taking treatment.

She then converted to the 200m and we don't stop her anymore.

She lowered her personal best by almost a second in three months, setting herself the African record in the Olympic final in Tokyo (21 sec 81).

Christine Mboma victorious in the 200m of the Brussels Diamond League meeting, September 3, 2021 JOHN THYS AFP

- "I can run faster" -

“I'm really happy with this win because it's my first Diamond League race, she said. The 200m is now my favorite race. I just try to do my best and watch what I do. can do. In the future I think I can run faster than that and in a year or two I'll try the 100m just to see. "

Another hyperandrogenic athlete, Francine Nyonsaba, 2nd at the Rio Games in 2016 over 800m, has also successfully changed specialty.

The Burundian demonstrated this by improving her personal best over 5000 m in 14 min 25 sec 34, by beating the double world gold medalist (2017, 2019) and Olympic vice-champion Ellen Obiri, only 3rd.

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis crosses a bar at the meeting in Brussels, September 3, 2021 JOHN THYS AFP

On the pole, Armand Duplantis was as always quite alone, flying over the competition with a jump to 6.05 m.

The world record holder (6.18 m) and Olympic champion passed this bar on his 3rd try and outclassed his main rivals, like the American Christopher Nilsen, his runner-up in Tokyo, 2nd with a jump to 5, 85 m.

After a surprising poor performance a week ago in Lausanne (5.62 m), the Swedish prodigy (21), already sovereign on Saturday in Paris (6.01 m), has indeed resumed his good habits.

However, he failed to improve his world record with three failures at 6.19m.

© 2021 AFP