No top three clash

The much-anticipated 100 metres clash which should have featured five-time World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson Herah and World 200m gold medallist Shericka Jackson had an anticlimactic end with an unexpected winner in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday.

With the late withdrawal of Fraser-Pryce due to injury and a shock false start from Thompson Herah, Jackson was the only Jamaican in the field, finishing second in 10.88 seconds behind American Aleia Hobbs who scored the upset in 10.87. Marie Josee Ta Lou of Côte d’Ivoire was third in 10.89.

It took three attempts for the race to get under way with Jackson shuffling in the blocks on the first attempt but avoiding a false-start call. Thompson Herah was disqualified at the second attempt. Jackson said that she was not happy with her start and this she said affected her performance.

“I felt good about the race, I’m a little disappointed with the time but that’s how it is. I think my start was poor and that affected my overall time but it’s just something I’ll continue to work on,” Jackson said.

Fraser-Pryce’s late scratch was the result of hamstring discomfort over the past few days which had not improved and she elected not to participate on the advice of her coach Reynaldo Walcott. In an Instagram post, she said that she will have time to get treatment before the Diamond League meet in Brussels scheduled for September 2.

“No matter how hard we prepare, sometimes things just don’t go as planned. The last thing I want to do is injure myself,” Fraser-Pryce said,

Meanwhile, Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Broadbell scored his second victory over World champion Grant Holloway of the United States in the men’s 110m hurdles clocking a personal best of 12.99 seconds. Holloway placed third in 13.11 behind his compatriot, World Championships silver medallist Trey Cunningham, who was second in 13.10. Tokyo Olympic Games champion Hansle Parchment was fourth in 13.13. Broadbell said that going sub 13.00 is the product of his new training routine.

PROVEN RESULTS

“Everyone comes here to do their best, so I just focus on my race and try to execute what I have practised in training,” Broadbell said. “I started my season with injuries but as you can see as the season is progressing, it’s getting better and better. New training camp, much better results, the proof is there. I am happy with how things are going right now.”

World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts finished second in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 14.64m behind World champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela who won with 15.31m. Kimberley Williams finished sixth with 14.12m.

Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell and Andrenette Knight finished second and third in the women’s 400m hurdles clocking 53.92 and 54.33 seconds, respectively. Rushell Clayton did not finish after colliding with a hurdle. Newly crowned European champion Femke Bol of the Netherlands won in a meet record of 52.95.

World Championships silver medallist Britany Anderson was fifth in the women’s 100m hurdles clocking 12.59 seconds. Tokyo Olympic Games champion Jasmine Camacho Quinn of Puerto Rico won in a meet record of 12.34 beating World champion and world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria who came second in 12.45. Tia Jones of the United States finished third in 12.47, a new personal best.

World Championships 4x400m silver medallist Candice McLeod finished fourth in the 400m in 50.80 seconds and Stephenie Ann McPherson was seventh in 51.63. World Championships silver medallist Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic led a Caribbean sweep of the top three places. She won in 49.87 while World Championships bronze medallist and Commonwealth Games champion Sada Williams of Barbados was second in 49.94. Paulino’s compatriot Fiodaliza Cofil was third in 50.13.

Newly crowned NACAC champion Andrew Hudson finished fifth in the men’s 200m clocking 20.09 in his first Diamond League meet since switching allegiance to Jamaica. World 200m champion Noah Lyles won in 19.56 while his American compatriot, World 400m champion Michael Norman, finished second in 19.76. Commonwealth Games champion Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago was third in 19.95.

The Diamond League shifts to Brussels on September 2 before the season finale in Zürich starting on September 7

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com