Given the event’s calibre - it’s known as one of the top meetings on the Diamond League circuit - the seven meeting records were particularly notable.
Three of those came as a result of exceptional British performances - Keely Hodgkinson in the women’s 800m (1:54.61); Matthew Hudson-Smith in the men’s 400m (43.74); and Dina Asher Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita in the women’s 4 x 100m relay (41.55) - while the others came from international stars Femke Bol (NED) in the women’s 400m hurdles; Nickisha Pryce (JAM) in the women’s 400m; Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu (SUI) in the men’s 3000m; and Gabby Thomas (USA) in the women’s 200m.
World champion Bol had arrived in the capital in fine form having broken her own European record one week earlier (50.95). While Rushell Clayton (JAM) matched her through the first half, the 24-year-old Dutch star - who went on to win Olympic 400mH bronze in Paris - pulled away over the final 200m to win comfortably in 51.30, her second-fastest ever clocking and a 0.15 improvement on the European record, Diamond League record, meeting record and personal best she had set at the same meeting in 2023. Shamier Little (USA) came through to take second (52.78) with Clayton in third (53.24).
In the women’s 400m, NCAA champion Pryce wasoutstanding on her Diamond League debut. Kicking hard off the final bend, she impressively pulled away from European champion Natalia Kaczmarek (POL) to take the win in a world lead, meeting record and national record of 48.57 – a mark good enough to go seventh on the world all-time list (at the time). It was also a new Diamond League record, bettering the 48.97 set by Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH) six years previously.
Behind Pryce, Kaczmarek finished second in 48.90, taking 0.08 off the Polish record she set at the European Championships and marking just the seventh time in history in which two women had bettered 49 seconds in the same race. Lieke Klaver (NED) was third in a 49.58 personal best.
European 10,000m champion Lobalu,who finished fourth in the Olympic Games 5000m, outsprinted the USA’s Grant Fisher to win the men’s 3000m in a meeting record, national record and lifetime best of 7:27.68, the fastest mark of the year on an outdoor track at the time.
Fisher - the soon-to-be double Olympic bronze medallist in the 5000m and 10,000m - was second in 7:27.99, with Kenya’s Edwin Kurgat third (7:28.53).
With the seventh and final meeting record of the day,Thomas hinted at what was to come in Paris as she came from behind to win the women’s 200m in 21.82 (-0.9m/s).
The 2023 world silver medallist was locked in a battle with world indoor 60m champion Julien Alfred (LCA) as they pushed one another into the lead. Thomas eventually edged ahead to take victory with Alfred in second in a national record of 21.86. Asher-Smith was third in 22.07.
Between them, Thomas and Alfred went on to win five medals in the French capital: three gold for the American (200m, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m), and gold (100m) and silver (200m) for the St Lucian.
The London Athletics Meet - the UK’s biggest one-day athletics event - will return to the London Stadium on Saturday 19 July 2025. Buy your tickets now: britishathletics.org.uk/london-athletics-meet-2025
