Canadian shot put star Sarah Mitton was stripped of her Diamond League Final victory on Wednesday following a successful protest of her winning throw.
The Brooklyn, N.S., native’s second attempt measured 20.67 metres but, following a review by judges, Mitton was ruled to have stepped out of the throwing circle before the shot hit the ground, thereby making her throw invalid.
Mitton’s second-best throw was 19.99m, which bumped her to third place in the standings in Switzerland.
The Netherlands’ Jessica Schilder moved into first place with a top throw of 20.26m, while back-to-back world champion Chase Jackson of the U.S. was second at 20.08m.
Canadian shot put star Sarah Mitton was stripped of her Diamond League Final victory on Wednesday following a successful protest of her winning throw. The Brooklyn, N.S., native’s second attempt measured 20.67 metres, but was later ruled a disqualified attempt as she stepped out of the throwing circle before the shot landed. Mitton’s second-best throw was 19.99m, which bumped her down to third place in the standings.
Weltklasse Zürich meet organizers confirmed in a emailed statement to CBC Sports that a protest was lodged within the
required 30-minute window.
“Jessica Schilder has been declared the winner of the women’s shot put and therefore Wanda Diamond League champion after a protest against Sarah Mitton’s second- round throw was upheld,” the statement read.
Schilder will be presented the Diamond League Trophy at Letizgrund Stadium on Thursday
The next major competition for the 29-year-old Mitton will be the World Athletics Championships, which run Sept. 13-21. Mitton won a silver medal at the 2023 event in Budapest.
Duplantis wins 5th pole vault title
World record holder Mondo Duplantis won his fifth straight Diamond League pole vault final, while Katie Moon took the women’s title as she prepared to defend her world crown in Tokyo.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist Duplantis cleared six metres on his fifth attempt and Greece’s Emmanouil Karalis matched the Swede’s effort. But neither man cleared 6.10 and Duplantis got the win on countback.
Duplantis, who improved on his own world record with 6.29 in Budapest two weeks ago, now has five Diamond League trophies, two fewer than French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie and American triple jumper Christian Taylor who share the record of seven.
“I am a human being, I do not break world records every day, there are days when I feel decent and others when I feel bad,” Duplantis said. “Today I felt somewhere in between. Street event like today, I love it.”
“I have five Diamond trophies now, Renaud Lavillenie has seven, so I am getting closer.”
Moon cleared 4.82 on her sixth attempt to beat fellow American Sandi Morris to the title, winning her second Diamond League trophy.
“My victory wasn’t happening without the crowd. I needed their extra energy,” Moon said. “I love when the crowd is right there and you feel the energy. To win here and to execute this way gives me a real boost of confidence. In Tokyo I will do everything to retain my [world championship] title.”
Kovacs tops 22 metres to take men’s shot put
American Joe Kovacs won the men’s shot put, while local favourite Simon Ehammer took victory in the men’s long jump to the roaring applause of the crowd at Sechselautenplatz, the largest square in Zürich.
Kovacs, a three-time Olympic silver medallist, beat compatriot Payton Otterdahl to win the men’s shot put title with a throw of 22.46 metres.
“It is awesome to win here, with that high level. I would like to keep my medal streak alive but I am also happy to get home to my wife and my kids,” said the 36-year-old Kovacs.
Ehammer got 8.32m on his third attempt, edging out Italy’s Mattia Furlani to win the men’s long jump, while Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers won the women’s high jump, clearing 2.04m.
The second day of the Diamond League Final begins Thursday at 11:30 a.m. ET, and will stream live on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem. For more information on athletics events streaming live on CBC Sports this season, click here to see the full broadcast schedule.
