A DAZZLING DISPLAY - Shanieka Thomas -Ricketts jumps personal best for Diamond League Trophy

AFTER consistent performances all season, starting at the PUMA Youngster Goldsmith Classics, Shanieka Thomas-Ricketts scored one of the most important victories so far in her career when she produced a personal best (PB) of 14.93m to capture the women’s triple jump trophy at yesterday’s IAAF Diamond League finals in Zurich, Switzerland.

Thomas-Ricketts, last year’s Commonwealth Games silver medallist, also mined silver at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, earlier this month, in what was then a personal best distance of 14.77m. She has been on a roll all season, finishing in the top three in most of the meets in which she compete. However, and after a disappointing fourth-place finish in Paris a week ago, Thomas-Ricketts showed up very determined yesterday as she faced off against Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas, the Pan Am Games record holder and world leader in the event. However, Thomas-Ricketts spoilt her party as after being in second place going into her final attempt, she produced her winning jump to walk away with US$50,000 (almost J$7 million) and the Diamond Trophy. Rojas had to settle for second with a jump of 14.74m, with Cuba’s Liadagmis Povea finishing third with a distance of 14.49m.

Thomas-Ricketts gave credit to the people around her for her victory.

“Before the last jump, I knew that I had a chance and I needed to take that chance,” she said. “This is my first Diamond League win, and with my PB, I am so happy. I do not know what I will do with the money.

GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM

“My husband and coach, Kerry Lee, hugged me right after the competition. I have a really good team that is supporting me – my coach, my manager, and my physio – so a new PB was possible today. At Doha, I do not care about the colour. I will go home to Kingston, to train and mid-September, I will go to Qatar with the Jamaican team for a training camp.”

Despite coming to the meet as the world leader in the Women’s 200m, double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson suffered a rare defeat this season as she could only manage third in the event in 22.44 seconds. The event was won by the Bahamas’ Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who remains unbeaten this season. Miller-Uibo and Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain were both off to blazing starts as Thompson was left behind, with both athletes pulling away. Miller-Uibo distanced herself from Asher-Smith over the final 50m to win the race 21.74 seconds, a personal best, world-leading time, and Bahamian national record, while Asher-Smith took second in a season’s best 22.08 seconds.

Jamaica had other top three finishes on the track. Former 100m world champion Yohan Blake, in a quality field, clocked 10.07 seconds for third as the United States’ Noah Lyles showed his versatility by winning the event in 9.98 seconds, ahead of Xie Zhenye of China, second in 10.04 seconds. Reigning world champion Justin Gatlin’s 10.08 seconds placed him fourth.

Tajae Gayle continued his improved form this season after finishing third in the men’s long jump after posting 8.20m, the same mark done by second-place finisher Ruswahl Samaai of South Africa as Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarria won with an outstanding 8.65m, which was a Diamond League and meet record and also a world-leading mark.

There was no luck for Danniel Thomas-Dodd, Stephenie Ann McPherson, and Janieve Russell in their respective events. In the women’s shot put, Thomas-Dodd, who improved her national record to 19.55m for gold at the PanAm Games earlier this month, had to settle for sixth yesterday, with a throw of 18.80m. China’s Gong Lijiao produced a world-leading and meet record distance of 20.31m to win ahead of USA’s Chase Ealey, who set a personal best of 19.68m for second, with third going to Christine Schwantz of Germany with 19.37m.

McPherson was also sixth in the Women’s 400m in 51.90 seconds as favourite Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain kept her unbeaten record intact this season, winning in 50.24 seconds.

Russell could only manage seventh in the Women’s 400m hurdles in 55.87 seconds. Here, it was a clean sweep of the top three spots by the United States as young Sydney McLaughlin won in a big upset in a season’s best 52.85 seconds, as Shamier Little finished second in 53.86 seconds, and world record holder Dalilah Muhammad was relegated to third in 54.13 seconds.

In non-Diamond League events, Jonielle Smith, 11.25 seconds, and Natalliah Whyte, 11.37 seconds, made it a one-two finish for Jamaica in the Women’s 100m. In the men’s 110m hurdles, Michael O’Hara clocked 13.79 seconds for fourth, while in the Women’s 4x100m relay, the quartet of Whyte, Thompson, Smith, and McPherson, in that order, ended fifth in 42.93 seconds as Germany won in a season’s best 42.22 seconds.

One of the outstanding results on the day came in the Men’s 400m hurdles as world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, produced a world-leading and second-fastest-ever time of 46.92 seconds to win the event. The new European record holder edged out the US’ Rai Benjamin, who was second in a personal best of 46.98 seconds, as Commonwealth Games champion Kyron McMaster finished third in 48.58 seconds.