Two-time reigning world champion in the 200m, each time threatening the world record of icon Florence Griffith-Joyner that goes back 35 years, Jackson openly aspired to seize it in the ideal conditions of the King Baudouin Stadium, a brand new and rare "Jamaican weather" track in the Belgian capital.

The 29-year-old Jamaican did not achieve the feat on Friday night, but she firmly maintained the pressure she has exerted on it for more than a year with a victory in 21.48 sec (wind: +0.2 m/s). So much so that she now holds the second (21.41 in August 2023), third (21.45 in July 2022) and fourth (21.48 Friday) best times in history over 200 m, behind the 21 sec 34 run by Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

"I'm very happy with my race. I felt really good, I am convinced that this record, it happens, that I am getting closer, "believes the one who is also double world silver medalist in the 100m (2022 and 2023).

Under the eyes of Bubka

"It's been a good season. I hope to get one more victory and get closer to this record," she said, a week before her last competition of the summer, the final of the Diamond League in Eugene (Oregon, United States) on September 16 and 17.

If he continues to string together competitions and victories above six meters, the 6.23 m, a centimeter higher than his last world record set in February, continues to deny Duplantis.

Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis imperial in Brussels, September 8, 2023 © JOHN THYS / AFP

After Stockholm at the beginning of July, the world final in Budapest at the end of August and Zurich (Switzerland) a week ago, the pole vaulter phenomenon stumbled for the fourth time on the same bar on the Belgian jumper, under the eyes of his illustrious predecessor Sergei Bubka very attentive in the stands.

"I had enough in me to jump the world record today and I really thought I was going to achieve it, it's a shame. But my jumps were rotten," regrets "Mondo". "Even the last one at 6.23m, it didn't go far but it wasn't a great jump."

The 23-year-old Swede nevertheless won with 6.10m, the record of the Belgian meeting. Once again, the Olympic champion and two-time reigning world champion was the only one to go higher than six meters. American Sam Kendricks and Filipino EJ Obiena, second and third in the trials, both capped at 5.92m. Thibaut Collet, fifth at the recent Worlds, was seventh with 5.82m.

First for Ingebrigtsen

On the little run 2,000 m, the Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen offered himself his first outdoor world record. In 4 min 43 sec 13, he did better, by more than a second and a half, than the Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj almost a quarter of a century ago (4:44.79 in 1999).

Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen attacks the 2,000m record in Brussels, September 8, 2023 © JOHN THYS / AFP

"It's always nice to break a record. I knew I was capable of beating this one, the hares helped me a lot, and honestly, this record was not difficult for me," said the reigning Olympic champion in the 1,500m.

The 22-year-old Norwegian already holds the indoor world record in the 1,500m (3:30.60) since February 2022, and the European outdoor record (3:27.14).

It is also El Guerrouj who holds the world record that Ingebrigtsen probably covets in the long term.

In the javelin throw, best performance of the year and national record with 67.38 m for Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi, freshly crowned world champion.

© 2023 AFP