Diamond League Brussels Highlights - Aguilera PR's, Huddle sets American Record

The Memorial Van Damme in Brussels on Friday concluded the inaugural Diamond League competition with a bang. 

In the women's steeplechase, Women Talk Sports member and USA Champion Lisa Aguilera set a personal best, bettering her former American Record by almost 4 seconds with her 9:24.84. Aguilera set the American Record in 2007 after placing 4th at the USA Championships, missing the World Team by 1 spot. Since then, Aguilera has had some ups and downs, missing the Olympic Team and making the tough decision to change coaches (more on that here). But it looks like things are all falling in place now. Aguilera stuck with the main pack despite the quick early pace, and it paid off. Aguilera was elated after the race, and rightly so:

In the final lap, Ethiopia's Sofia Assefa was able to hold off World Leader Milcah Chemos Cheiywa for the win, though Cheiywa still took home the overall Diamond League title. Aguilera was just 4 seconds behind the best steeplers in the world.

In the women's 5000m, USA's Molly Huddle had a similar race plan to Aguilera's - hold on and see what happens. It worked for the Notre Dame alum, as she stayed in contact with the pack until it strung out at the end, and they pulled her in to an American Record of 14:44.76, breaking Shalane Flanagan's 14:44.80 record from 2007. Below is an interview with Huddle after the race:

In the women's 100m hurdles, Priscilla Lopes-Shliep sealed her Diamond League win with a 12.54 to beat one of the strongest fields in the meet, which included 2010 indoor World Champ Lolo Jones, 2008 Olympic Silver Medalist Sally Pearson and countrywoman and veteran Perdita Felicien, a multiple-time World Champ. 

For full results from the Brussels meet, Click Here.

Each overall Diamond League winner, in addition to winning prize money for each DL competition in which she was a winner, also is awarded $40,000 and a diamond trophy (left). 

Other winners on the women's side include: 

Carmelita Jeter (100m), Allyson Felix (200m and 400m), Janeth Jepkosgei (800m), Nancy Langat (1500m), Vivian Cherutiot (5000m), Milcah Chemos Cheiywa (3000m Steeplechase), Kaliese Spencer (400m Hurdles), Blanka Vlasic (High Jump), Fabiana Murer (Pole Vault), Brittney Reese (Long Jump), Yargelis Savigne (Triple Jump), Nadezhda Ostapchuk (Shot Put), Yaerlis Barrios (Discus) and Barbora Spotakova (Javelin).

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This post is related to an event on our Calendar:

• 2010 Diamond League: Belgacom/Memorial Van Damme