Big in Berlin! - Thomas-Ricketts, McLeod win at ISTAF World Challenge meet

JAMAICAN athletes Shanieka Thomas-Ricketts and Omar McLeod picked up wins at the ISTAF World Challenge meet in Berlin, Germany, yesterday as they continued preparations for the upcoming IAAF World Championships from September 27-October 6.

Fresh off her recent success at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday, Ricketts continued her impressive form by taking the women’s triple jump. Competing in a negative 1.8m-per-second wind, Ricketts hopped, stepped and jumped her way to a winning distance of 14.63m for her win as Patrícia Mamona of Portugal took second with 14.18m.

After a slow start to his season, defending 110m hurdles World champion McLeod continued his good late form by racing to a season’s best 13.07 seconds to capture the men’ s 110m hurdles as he warmed up for the Brussels leg of the Diamond League finals on Friday. The other Jamaicans in the event, Orlando Bennett, 13.54 seconds, and Ronald Levy, 14.24 seconds, ended eight and ninth, respectively.

TRACEY THIRD

There was a top-three finish for Tyquendo Tracey in the men’s 100m sprint after finishing third in 10.06 seconds. Andre De Grasse of Canada won in 9.97 seconds ahead of South Africa’s Akani Simbine, second in 9.99 seconds.

Jaheel Hyde, 49.67 seconds, and Romel Lewis, 50.30 seconds, continued to find the going tough this season in the 400m hurdles as both failed to attain the World Championships qualifying mark after finishing fourth and fifth, respectively. Luke Campbell of Germany won the event in 49.41 seconds.