Saly Sarr set for Senegal's first Diamond League final

Saly Sarr will become the first Senegalese athlete, woman or man, to compete in a Diamond League final when she takes part in the triple jump in Brussels on Friday, 4 September. The qualification gives Senegal an unprecedented presence in the deciding meeting of athletics’ leading annual circuit.

The African champion has built her place in the final during a strong season. She won bronze in the women’s triple jump at the World Indoor Championships, then improved her personal best to 14.86 metres and reached the podium at a Diamond League meeting. On 23 August in Silesia, Poland, she claimed her first victory in the series while also setting a Senegalese national record.

Sarr will face Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez Hernández and Davisleydi Velazco among the competitors in Brussels. Her Silesia win and consistent results throughout the season have put her among the leading triple jumpers in the field. The final is the latest milestone after her world indoor medal and African title, and a victory would make her Senegal’s first Diamond League champion. The event is scheduled for 20:48 GMT in the Belgian capital.