Philip Milanov‘s performance in London established a number of historical milestones. In addition to being his first win in Diamond League competition, he is the first Personae-managed Belgian athlete to win an event on the top IAAF meeting circuit, a feat not achieved by any Belgian athlete since Kevin Borlee won the 400m at the ’12 Memorial Van Damme. With his throw of 65.14m, Milanov defeated the ’15 world no. 1 discuss performer, Jason Morgan (9th in 59.60m), as well as ’15 no. 4 Gerhard Meyer (6th in 61.88m), no. 5 Benn Harradine (3rd in 63.98m), and no. 6 Martin Kupper (8th in 61.04m). Milanov’s top throw of the season, his 66.43m NR set in Kessel-Lo, ranks him 7th world/5th Europe in ’15.
Bashir Abdi also continued his ’15 season momentum in London, this time by placing 6th in the 3000m in a new personal best of 7:40.44, moving him up to the no. 4 spot on the Belgian all-time list for the event. Abdi’s time only trails Mo Farah‘s 7.34.66 (London) and Ali Kaya‘s 7:38.65 (Monaco) among Europeans in ’15. Also performing well in London were steeplechase specialists Paul Koech (3rd in 8:12.13) and Hillary Yego (4th in season best 8:13.10).
London was the 11th stop on the 14-city Diamond League tour of 2015, which will continue with the Bauhaus Athletics Meeting in Stockholm on 30-July, before the two-city series finales at Weltklasse Zurich on 3-September and AG Memorial van Damme in Brussels on 11-September.