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South Africa was among the winners as 16 Diamond League champions were crowned at the final on Thursday night.
Luvo Manyonga and Caster Semenya successfully defended their titles with victories in the long jump and the 800m finals, respectively.
However, it was not a good night for other South Africans as the likes of Luxolo Adams (200m), Cornel Fredericks, Wenda Nel (both 400m hurdles), and Carina Horn (100m) failed to impress, while Ruswahl Samaai lost the long jump to Manyonga in a rather cruel fashion.
Semenya said she had done whatever she could to maintain her good season.
“It was a great race – it’s just to try your luck all the time,” she told City Press after she completed her hat-trick of Diamond titles.
Semenya showed her strength by opening up a huge gap in the closing third of the race to win in 1:55.27, more than two and a half seconds ahead of Ajee Wilson of the US in second place (1:57.86) and Jamaica’s Natoya Goulein in third (1:58.49).
“The rhythm was great. It’s towards the end of the season and we’ve been running hard throughout the season. We always try to keep up the pace and push a bit harder and see what happens.
“I’m consistent and that’s what the coach needs,” she added.
In the sandpits, the long jump decider had turned into a South African show and Samaai looked set to walk away it with an 8.32m leap but Manyonga snatched the contest with his last effort at 8.36m to unseat his compatriot.
“I came to win but there can only be one winner. I did well today but Luvo showed up when it mattered the most,” said a rather disappointed Samaai, who had defeated Manyonga at the African Senior Championships in Nigeria just three weeks ago.
“It’s sport – you lose some and win some. And the end of the day you go back to the drawing board and see how you can still improve. At the end of the day, I’m glad a South African won it.”
Manyonga said it was a great honour to win another Diamond crown.
“It was the main I had wanted this season – to defend my Diamond title.
Today I was not myself; I was tense on the runway and focusing more on the distance and not on what I usually do.
“What happened at the Africa Champs, I didn’t want that to happen again. I am happy to take another Diamond home,” said Manyonga.
How other South African fared at Zurich Diamond final:
400m hurdles: Cornel Fredricks (5th, 49.96)
200m: Luxolo Adams (7th, 20.51)
400m: Pieter Conradie (7th, 47.37)
100m: Carina Horn (7th, 11.54)
400m hurdles (women): Wenda Nel (8th, 57.23)
