News & Updates

Hamish Kerr make another huge statement ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games by storming to high jump victory with a 2.31m clearance at the Suzhou Diamond League in China.

The World Indoor champion produced a much improved performance on his third place finish (with a best clearance of 2.24m) in the opening Diamond League of the season seven days earlier in Xiamen to claim the huge scalp of Olympic champion Mutaz Barshim of Qatar.

Competing in front of a pumping crowd at the Olympic Sports Centre Stadium, the Kiwi breezed clear over his opening two heights of 2.16m and 2.20m. However, the Auckland-raised, Christchurch-based athlete suffered a technical hiccup at both 2.24m and 2.27m, requiring a second time clearance at both heights.

The 27-year-old Aucklander started to find his groove at 2.29m soaring clear with his first attempt – a mark only Barshim, the three-time world champion, was also able to tame in the 11-man field.

Kerr made his decisive move at 2.31m – his second time clearance proving an unassailable on the day. Barshim missed out with his first two efforts at that height before raising the bar at 2.33m for his final try in an effort to stay alive. The Qatari was unsuccessful leaving Kerr victorious.

Kerr missed out twice at 2.33m before having one unsuccessful crack at 2.35m but was delighted with his performance which banked him $10,000(USD) in prize money.

Kerr, who sits top of the Diamond League qualification standings by virtue of more wins than the Qatari (both have 14points apiece), said: “It was great to get the win. I’ve been working on a few technical things so that to work out tonight, I’m stoked.

“It wasn’t perfect through 2.24m, 2.27m, but I stayed patient and that is the most pleasing thing. Just to be out there with these athletes who I really look up to like Barshim and to beat them, I still have to pinch myself. This gives me a lot of confidence going into the season ahead.”

Kerr next competes at the What Gravity Challenge in Doha on 10 May (NZT) – an event organised by Barshim.

Elsewhere in Suzhou, Maddi Wesche could not quite match the pyrotechnics of last week in the opening Diamond League in Xiamen when she finished second with a PB of 19.63m as she wound up sixth in the women’s shot.

The 24-year-old Aucklander fired the shot out to her best of the day – a 19.23m toss in round one – as world champion Chase Jackson of the USA secured top spot with a season’s best of 20.03m ahead of Canada’s Sarah Mitton (19.86m).

The third Kiwi in action in Suzhou, Tori Peeters produced a vastly improved competitive performance from seven days earlier in Xiamen to finished seventh in the women’s javelin with a best of 59.11m.

Last week the 29-year-old athlete placed seventh in Xiamen with 55.20m so to finish just over a metre-and-a-half off the podium in Suzhou was a more positive display.

Victory was secured in the final round by Japan’s world champion Haruka Kitaguchi with a 62.97m throw.

For a full review of the Diamond League results in Suzhou go here