For the opening of the 2023 edition of the Diamond League, the spotlight was on the two sprints on the program in Doha on Friday night, the women's 100m and the men's 200m.

Deprived of the Olympic Games in Tokyo in the summer of 2021 because of a positive doping control for cannabis at the end of June 2021, Sha'Carri Richardson made his speed speak Friday to win in 10 sec 76/100, only 4/100 slower than his personal best on the straight which dates back to April 2021 (10.72).

And this time, the wind was favorable of 0.9 m / s, well below the authorized limit of 2 m / s, which allows him to seize the best performance in the world at the beginning of the season, until then owned by the Jamaican Shericka Jackson (10.82).

Richardson thus erases the record of the Doha meeting, set in May 2016 in 10.80 seconds by the American Tori Bowie, whose death was announced two days ago at only 32 years old.

Less well started, the American managed to beat Shericka Jackson (10.85) and the British Dina Asher-Smith (10.98).

The 23-year-old Texan is marking her territory, while the peak of the season is expected in three and a half months in Budapest for the World Championships from August 19 to 27. Until then, she will have to pass the formidable American selections from July 6 to 9 in Eugene (Oregon).

Four triple jumpers in the wind

On the half-lap, the American Fred Kerley caught Kenny Bednarek in the last 50 meters of the race, to win in 19 sec 92/100, 19/100 better than his compatriot.

Able to shine in the 100m (personal best at 9.76), 200m (19.76) and 400m (43.64), Kerley leaves for the moment the best mark of the season to Ghanaian James Dadzie, author of a time of 19 sec 79/100 on April 29 in Lubbock (Texas).

Fred Kerley on May 5, 2023 in Doha © KARIM JAAFAR / AFP

In a triple wind jump competition that took place at the beginning of the meeting, four athletes went beyond 17.70m.

The reigning Olympic (2021), World (2022) and European (2022) champion, Portugal's Pedro Pichardo landed at 17.91 metres on his second attempt, with a favourable wind (+2.1 m/s).

Burkinabe Hugues-Fabrice Zango, in his sixth and final triple jump, took second place in the competition with 17.81m. The favorable wind under 2 m/s (+ 1.5 m/s) offers him the best world performance of the year at the beginning of the outdoor season.

Cuba's Andy Diaz Hernandez (17.80 m, + 2.6 m/s) and Lazaro Martinez (17.71 m, + 3.4 m/s) complete this quartet in the wind.

In the pole vault, American Katie Moon, 2022 world champion and 2021 Olympic champion, won with a clear bar on her second try at 4.81m, four centimeters from her best performance last season that allowed her to take the world title in Eugene.

© 2023 AFP