The Diamond League meeting in Doha is one to watch each year. It is just far enough into the season that we get to see athletes beginning to come into form for outdoors, and typically also marks the beginning of a stretch of hot meets, and this year is no different. The event in Qatar yesterday provided ample storylines in this Olympic year, and we cannot wait to see where it goes heading into Paris.
The highlight of the evening was Alison dos Santos’s season debut. The Brazilian 400m hurdler was taken out of the first part of the season last year, and while he was able to return in July and finish in a respectable 5th in Budapest, he was not in the full form we saw in 2022. Boy did he come back with a vengeance in his 2024 hurdle debut in Doha. Running 46.86 seconds for the 400mH, he dispelled any doubts that he would be a contender for gold in Paris. The race remained close through the first turn, but on the backstretch, dos Santos turned it on, and by the third turn he had absolutely blasted ahead of the field. His finishing time was a meet record.
Steven Gardiner (Bahamas) continued his run as the quietest best athlete in the world. The Tokyo Olympic Champion seems to always win, but since we do not see him that often, it is tough to remember his dominance. In both 2022 and 2023, he sustained injuries that took him out of contention in both World Championships, but when healthy, he is nigh unstoppable. Since his silver medal finish at the 2017 World Championships, he has now won 31 consecutive 400s, a streak continued with his win in Doha. He was the race’s lone sub-45 second finisher, crossing the line in 44.76 seconds.
Mary Moraa (Kenya) made a statement in her 800 meter race in Doha. Moraa completed two laps of the track in 1:57.91, just a hair faster than her 800m season debut at the Kip Keino Classic last month. Moraa contested mostly 400s indoors, and it would appear the speedwork is paying off. The 2023 World Champion finished a half second ahead of second place finisher, Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie in her outdoor 800m season debut, who has also been having a heck of a 2024 off a World Championships silver medal indoors.
Kenny Bednarek (USA) ran just his second 200m on the year in Doha, and he absolutely blew the doors off. He ran a personal best time of 19.67, which was also a world lead and meet record. Bednarek was the race’s only sub-20 finisher, ahead of fellow countrymen, and 4×100 World Relays teammates, Courtney Lindsey and Kyree King in second and third. In astounding fashion, Bednarek was running away from the field by the end of the turn. The Olympic and 2022 World Championships silver medalist made a statement that he is back after finishing fifth at the 2023 World Championships.
Full results from the Doha Diamond League meeting are available here
The next stop on the Diamond League circuit is Rabat, which is scheduled to take place on May 19. Before that, however, we get the LA Grand Prix on May 17.
