Ukrainian Bohdan Bondarenko triumphed in a dazzling high jump duel with Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar that saw both clear 2.42m at the New York Diamond League athletics meeting.
The pair became the first high jumpers in two decades to clear 2.42m, grabbing the spotlight at the sixth stop on the elite Diamond League circuit.
It was the first time in history that two high jumpers flew so high in the same competition, and the last man to clear 2.42 was world record-holder Javier Sotomayor in 1994.
“High jump is in golden days right now,” Barshim said. “Everyone is watching high jump and cheering for that and of course that is really positive for us.”
Bondarenko effectively won the competition when he cleared 2.42 on his first attempt.
Barshim, who was runner-up to Bondarenko at the outdoor worlds in Moscow and won the indoor world title earlier this year, had needed three tries to clear 2.35 on his way to clearing 2.42.
Both Bondarenko and Barshim made unsuccessful attempts at 2.46m — Bondarenko taking three stabs at the world record height.
Although the world mark of 2.45m set by Sotomayor in 1993 was still standing at the end of the day, European Bondarenko equalled the continental record of Sweden’s Patrik Sjoberg, set in June 1987, and Barshim established a new Qatari and Asian record.
“For me today, this was my best competition,” said 2013 world champion Bondarenko. “I wanted to win today. I wanted to jump high.”
Bondarenko remained reluctant to predict when the world record might fall, but Barshim said it could be soon.
“The world record takes more than just preparation. It takes the perfect day,” Barshim said. “But I am more convinced that day can happen this season.”
In other events, Kenya’s 800m Olympic champion and world record-holder David Rudisha grabbed a morale-boosting victory, signalling that his return from a knee injury that sidelined him for much of last year remains on course.
The victory, in a modest 1 minute 44.63 seconds, came two weeks after Rudisha made his return to competition with a seventh-placed finish at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene in 1:44.63 — far from his world record of 1:40.91 but showing the progress he desired.
Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, also on the comeback trail after a hamstring injury prevented him from defending his 100m world title last year, was disappointed in the 100m, unable to recover from a poor start and finishing runner-up to compatriot Nesta Carter.
Carter clocked 10.09sec in the race run in a headwind, while Blake finished in 10.21.
– Fifty straight wins for Adams –
Despite the fickle winds in the stadium, Saturday’s action produced a string of world leading times.
Jamaica’s Warren Weir won the men’s 200m in a world-leading 19.82sec in a modest headwind of 0.2 meters per second. Compatriot Nickel Ashmeade was second in 19.95.
Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson won the 400m hurdles in a season’s best 48.03sec.
The London Olympic bronze medalist forged an early lead and won comfortably ahead of American Michael Tinsley, who had come into the meeting with a world leading time of 48.57 set in April at Des Moines, Iowa.
Germany’s Linda Stahl delivered the best women’s javelin performance of the season with a throw of 67.32m.
Brazil’s Fabiana Murer won the women’s pole vault with a season leading 4.80m. The 2011 world champion notched the height on her first attempt, and failed on three efforts at 4.90m. American Jenn Suhr was second at a height of 4.70m.
American LaShawn Merritt continued his strong form in the 400m with a victory in 44.19sec with Dominican Luguelin Santos relegated to fifth in 45.32.
New Zealand’s world and Olympic champion Valerie Adams reached a remarkable milestone with her 50th straight victory in the shot put with a throw of 19.68m.