Double reigning world champion in the 200m, each time threatening the world record of icon Florence Griffith-Joyner which goes back 35 years, Shericka Jackson openly aspired to seize it in the ideal conditions of the stadium. Roi Baudouin, brand new and rare “Jamaican weather” track in the Belgian capital.

The 29-year-old Jamaican did not achieve the feat on Friday evening, but she firmly maintained the pressure she has been putting on her for over a year with a victory in 21”48 (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”34 run by Griffith-Joyner in 1988.

“I am very happy with my race. I really felt good, I am convinced that this record is coming, that I am getting closer to it,” believes the woman who is also a double world silver medalist in the 100m (2022 and 2023).

Under Bubka’s eyes

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

If he continues to chain competitions and victories above six meters, the 6.23 m, one centimeter higher than his last world record established in February, continue to deny Duplantis.

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 vault, under the eyes of his illustrious predecessor Sergei Bubka very attentive in the stands.

“I had enough in me to break the world record today and I really thought I was going to succeed, 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 Belgian meeting record. Once again, the reigning Olympic champion and double world champion was the only one to go higher than six meters. American Sam Kendricks and Filipino EJ Obiena, second and third in practice, both capped at 5.92m. Thibaut Collet, fifth in the recent Worlds, ranked seventh with 5.82m.

Premiere for Ingebrigtsen

In the short-run 2,000 m, the Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen set his first outdoor world record. In 4’43”13, he did better, by more than a second and a half, than the Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj nearly a quarter of a century ago (4’44”79 in 1999).

“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 has already held the indoor world record for 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 undoubtedly covets in the long term.

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