Alfred shines in Brussels, Ingebrigtsen makes a comeback at Diamond League

BRUSSELS: Olympic 100 metres champion Julien Alfred capped off her remarkable season with a victory in the Diamond League series finale in Brussels on Friday. Alfred, the reigning Olympic gold medallist from St. Lucia, dominated most of the women’s 100 metres, holding off a late surge by Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith to win in 10.88 seconds. However, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson, who claimed silver at the Paris meet, finished a disappointing eighth.

In the men’s 1,500 metres, Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen bounced back from his Paris setback, where he placed fourth in the same event. He took control in the final lap and surged ahead in the last 200 metres to claim victory. Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot finished second, followed closely by Olympic champion Cole Hocker, who came third, just a hundredth of a second behind Cheruiyot.

On a cool September evening, not ideal for record-breaking performances, athletes competed in 16 disciplines, with each winner taking home a Diamond League trophy and $30,000. Another 16 events are scheduled for Saturday to conclude the series.