Warholm edges closer to world record, Samaai wins long jump in Stockholm

Despite clipping the final hurdle, the 24-year-old Warholm clocked 46.87 seconds, bettering his own European record of 46.92sec and moving within touching distance of American Kevin Young’s long-standing world record of 46.78, set back in 1992.

Warholm and his coach Leif Olav Alnes drove from Norway in a camper van and the pair slept in the vehicle before the meet to reduce health risks due to the coronavirus.

“The perfect description of our relationship would be raw, tough love,” Warholm says. “I like it like this. Last year he told me I was too fat, so I replied ‘you are too fat as well’. Suddenly we both lost weight.”

World 200m champion Noah Lyles said he was stunned Warholm, who reached the 2016 Olympic semi-finals, had missed out on Young’s record.

“I’m not even surprised that @kwarholm PR’d. I’m actually more shocked he didn’t break the world record,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Samaai earned the third Diamond League victory of his career, launching a leap of 8.09m to win a final-round jump-off in his specialist discipline.

Another world champion shone at an empty stadium in accordance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols, with the American Donavan Brazier timing 1min 43.76sec to win the 800m ahead of Canadia’s Marco Arop.

Elsewhere men’s pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis took gold on home soil by jumping 6.01 metres in a global best for the virus-affected season.

Britain’s Laura Muir won the women’s 1,500m in a time of 3:57.86 and the Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh clinched the women’s high jump with a world leading 2 metres.