“Eunice Sum is the real deal

Commentator Tim Hutchings words summed this race up perfectly. After a shock  win at the world championships, Sum backed up that win with a Diamond League victory in Stockholm last Thursday. A third successive victory tonight with the Diamond League $40,000 series crown on the line over a field that included the 2011 and 2012 World and Olympic champion and 2013 silver medallist Mariya Savinova (who wasn’t in Stockholm) and there can be no doubt.

Sum is for real.

After Sum’s victory in Moscow, Savinova made a few comments about how tactics and her over looking Sum had cost her the title. We didn’t really agree with that assessment as Savinova was right with Sum coming down the homestretch and Sum pulled away for the win.

Tonight’s rematch Weltklasse Zürich meet certainly lived up the billing as the two waged a ferocious battle over the final 100. Savinova had tracked Sum throughout the race before coming up on our outside at the start of the final 100. They two ran nearly side by side for the entire last straightaway. It was a riveting stretch run but Sum somehow found the strength to never give up the lead.

Sum was your winner in 1:58.82 to Savinova’s 1:58.93 as Morocco’s Malika Akkaoui was third in 1:59.35. The two AmericansAlysia Montaño and Ajee Wilson were fourth (2:00.25) and fifth (2:00.35) respectively.