European Athletics President Svein Arne Hansen and newly elected IAAF President Sebastian Coe savoured a glorious Friday evening at the Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, the last Diamond League meeting of the season.
The two presidents were among a packed crowd at the King Baudouin Stadium which saw pole vault king Renaud Lavillenie maintain his amazing record by winning the Diamond Race again. He is the only athlete to have taken the title every year since the competition began in 2010, while Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers delivered another sizzling triumph.
Hansen had reason to feel proud of the exploits of Europe’s athletes who once more had a night of triumph in a meeting which encompassed the inaugural European Week of Sport.
The initiative which started last Monday and ends on Sunday, where nearly 300,000 runners have taken part in 116 races registered for the event by European Athletics.
Coe, himself, knows all about the special feeling of competing in Brussels, particularly on a Friday night because it was on such a day of the week back in 1981 - 28 August - that he broke the mile world record with his run of 3:47.33.
If his performance then was all about the slow-burning pace before a powerful finish, it could not be more different for Schippers whose season of success looks like it will never end.
She is fast becoming one of the greatest European sprinters in history and after her 200m gold at the world championships in Beijing last month, she followed that up by beating America’s Olympic and three-times world champion Allyson Felix.
Felix led entering the straight but Schippers closed her down with 50m left to win, 22.12 to 22.22, with Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson in third (22.26).
Schippers said: 'I felt I was strong and could take the win and that I could power after the curve. The season has been incredible for me.'
The Diamond Race went to Felix, with 14 points to Schippers’ 12, and this rivalry will surely resume next summer in the countdown to the Olympic Games.
Lavillenie cannot be stopped
Frenchman Lavillenie does not know the meaning of giving in.
He shared third in Beijing, he failed to record a height in Berlin last Sunday but he came back in style in Brussels with a victory that made it six out of six Diamond Race wins.
Lavillenie (5.95m) beat Canada’s world champion Shawn Barber (5.85m) with Greece’s Konstantinos Filippidis third (5.80m).
He entered the competition at 5.65m, had a failure at 5.80m before moving up to 5.85m which he cleared first time. Then it was 5.90m which he went over at the second attempt before 5.95m which he achieved after an initial foul.
Lavillenie tried three times at six metres and though he failed to make that height, nothing could take away his glory as Barber could not go over at 5.90m, 5.95m and 6m.
Only Filippidis could have beaten him to the Diamond Race but once again Lavillenie banked the Diamond Trophy.
Pitkämäki is the champion at last
As Brussels brought a sixth Diamond race crown for Lavillenie, there was a first for Finland with Tero Pitkamaki winning the javelin.
He sealed his success with victory on the night as his second round throw of 87.37m was enough to beat Germany’s Thomas Rohler (86.56m), Trinidad’s Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott (84.03m) and Kenya’s world champion Julius Yego (83.82m).
Pitkämäki, who won bronze in Beijing, took the Diamond Race with 17 points from Czech Republic’s Vitezslav Vesely (15).
Speaking to the IAAF after his success, Pitkamaki said: 'Brussels is a special place for me. I have five wins here out of eight. I am quite satisfied with the distance … and there is one more thing to be really happy about: this is my first overall Diamond League win.'
Beitia shows age is no barrier
Spain’s Ruth Beitia also celebrated winning the Diamond Race for the first time as she clinched the high jump title by doing just enough, winning by one point with 14 from Russia’s world champion Mariya Kuchina.
Kuchina was defending her Diamond Race crown and she did all she could on the night as she triumphed in the event itself with a faultless programme at heights from 1.90m to 2.01m, as she equalled her personal best for victory.
But Beitia’s third place with 1.93m, as Russia’s Anna Chicherova (1.97m) finished second, ensured she was the champion.
Beitia said: 'I am so happy to win the Diamond League at the age of 36. It is special to me. I consider it a victory for my country, for my trainer, who I have worked together with for 25 years and, of course, myself.'
There was further success for Europe with Croatian discus thrower Sandra Perkovic winning the Diamond Race for the fourth year in a row.
She was never going to be troubled in the chase for the title, securing the prize with a fourth round throw of 67.50m to win on the night and the race with 30 points.
Hassan’s national mark
The mile world record (4:12.56) had been on the mind of European 1500m champion Sifan Hassan and though that did not happen, she did eclipse the Dutch national mark.
But Hassan had to settle for second (4:18.20) as she was beaten by Kenya’s Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon (4:16.71).
In the 800m, Poland’s European champion and world silver medallist Adam Kszczot (1:45.12) achieved another fine win, while France’s Jimmy Vicaut broke 10 seconds again in the 100m with 9.99, just behind American Justin Gatlin and Qatar’s Femi Ogunode, both in 9.98.
His fellow Frenchman Morhad Amdouni (3:36.92) won the 1500m and in front of his home fans, Belgium’s Kevin Borlee (45.43) was second behind Trinidad’s Renny Quow (45.29) in the 400m.