Ranzi Sports

The Novuna London Athletics Meet at the Olympic Stadium on 18 July 2026 delivered a night of historic performances, headlined by Josh Kerr’s world-record-breaking mile and Armand “Mondo” Duplantis’ commanding pole vault victory. In front of a sell-out crowd of 60,000, the meet produced three world-leading marks, two national records, and a Diamond League discus record, reaffirming London’s status as a premier global athletics stage.

In the men’s pole vault, Armand Duplantis (SWE) cleared 5.95m to take the win on countback over Sam Kendricks (USA) and Kurtis Marschall (AUS), who also cleared the same height. Duplantis, the 2024 Olympic champion and world record holder at 6.25m, entered the competition at 5.80m and cleared 5.90m and 5.95m on first attempts before passing on 6.00m. His victory marked his first Diamond League win of the 2026 season and extended his unbeaten streak in major finals to 14 consecutive events.

Josh Kerr (GBR) produced the performance of his career in the men’s mile, clocking 3:42.66 to break Hicham El Guerrouj’s 27-year-old world record of 3:43.13. Kerr, the 2023 world champion, ran a tactical race behind pacer Oliver Hoare before unleashing a 54.2-second final lap to surge past the field. His time makes him the first British miler to hold the world record since Steve Cram in 1985 and the sixth-fastest miler in history behind only El Guerrouj, Noah Ngeny, Daniel Komen, Noureddine Morceli, and Said Aouita.

In the women’s mile, Gudaf Tsegay (ETH) won in 4:11.88, the second-fastest time in history behind Genzebe Dibaba’s 4:11.11 and an Ethiopian national record. Jessica Hull (AUS) finished second in 4:13.68, breaking the Oceanian record, while Sinclaire Johnson (USA) took third in 4:16.32, setting a new American record. Tsegay’s opening lap of 59.93 set a blistering pace, and she maintained her lead through the final 200m to claim her first Diamond League win of the season.

The field events delivered equally compelling drama. Mykolas Alekna (LTU) won the men’s discus with a Diamond League record throw of 71.03m, surpassing the previous mark of 70.17m set by Virgilijus Alekna in 2004. In the women’s pole vault, Olivia McTaggart (NZL) and Katie Moon (USA) both cleared 4.73m, with McTaggart taking victory on countback. Julien Alfred (LCA) won the women’s 200m in 21.87, a world-leading time, while Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) won the women’s 800m in 1:55.42, the fastest time of the year.

The 2026 London meet reshaped the global athletics landscape, with Kerr’s milestone, Duplantis’ continued dominance, Tsegay’s tactical mastery, and Alekna’s record-breaking throw setting new benchmarks ahead of the World Championships. The results underscore the depth of talent across disciplines and confirm London’s Olympic Stadium as a venue where history is routinely made.