Three runner-up finishes at Florence Diamond League
FLORENCE, Italy – A trio of runner-up finishes highlighted action from athletes with ties to the Arkansas Razorbacks program during the Diamond League meet on Friday.
Arkansas alums Tina Šutej and Sandi Morris finished second and equal fourth in the pole vault. Razorback volunteer assistant Shamier Little was runner-up in the 400m hurdles, and Tara Davis-Woodhall, who trains in Fayetteville, placed second in the long jump.
Šutej attempted a height of 15-7.75 (4.77), which is half an inch higher than her Slovenia national record of 15-7.25 (4.76), at the end of the pole vault competition. She was in second place to Katie Moon as both cleared the deciding height of 15-5.5 (4.71), with Šutej clearing on a third attempt while Moon cleared on a second try.
The series for Šutej included a first attempt clearance at 14-5.5 (4.41), two attempts at 14-9.5 (4.51), one jump at 15-1.5 (4.61), and then three tries at 15-5.5. Moon passed the 15-7.75 height and missed three attempts at 15-9.75 (4.82).
“Actually, yesterday, I was not sure that I would jump because I had a really bad pain in my back,” Šutej said. “It had spread to the front and into my shoulder. So, I spent a lot of time at my physio. It was a really bad pain. On a scale from 1 to 10 it was 10.
“It was really acute, and they helped me to get better. But it was hurting today, and I didn’t want to think about it. I just wanted a few good jumps. I don’t have much time to recover because I am travelling by car in the morning home to compete at the national competition. It’s 7 hours away and I need just one good jump. I believe I can make it. My next start should be in Paris so I hope it will be OK by that time.”
Morris cleared 15-1.5 on a third attempt in tying for fourth place with Roberta Bruni of Italy, as both matched the third-place height achieved by Australian Nina Kennedy, who had a first attempt make.
In the 400m hurdles, Little rebounded from hitting hurdles in the race and produced a season best of 53.38, finishing behind the meet record and world leading time of 52.43 by Femke Bol of the Netherlands. Anna Hall set a career best of 54.42 for third place. Little’s first race in the hurdles this season produced a 53.95 victory in the Rabat Diamond League.
“I felt pretty good going into the race,” noted Little. “I smacked a couple of hurdles, and it threw off my rhythm. In the end, I think I had a good race.”
Bol set a world-leading time of 53.12 the previous weekend and opened her 2023 Diamond League season by breaking the meet record of 52.82 set in 2010 by Lashinda Demus.
“I executed the race like I wanted,” stated Bol. “It was a strong field which pushes me even more. I changed the rhythm between the hurdles, this change makes it easier, less steps and I am still fast.”
Davis-Woodhall, contesting just her second Diamond League meet ever and first for 2023, moved from fifth to second place in the fourth round with a leap of 22-1.5 (6.74) leaving her trailing leader Larissa Iapichino of Italy by just two inches.
Iapichino delivered her winning mark of 22-3.5 (6.79) in the first round with a 0.7 aiding wind. The runner-up mark for Davis-Woodhall was achieved into a 0.5 headwind.
“This is my second Diamond League ever, and my first of the season,” stated Davis-Woodhall. “I had to work my way into this meet and I’m just glad they let me in, so I put on a show.”
