Grenada’s javelin bronze medallist Anderson Peters and Jamaica’s 100m hurdles bronze medallist Rasheed Broadbell continued their rich vein of form from the Paris Olympic Games as they secured victories on what was a fairly decent outing for Caribbean athletes at the Wanda Diamond League Meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Thursday.
Peters launched the instrument to a new meet record of 90.61m to better the previous best of 90.16m set by Trinidad and Tobago’s Keshorn Walcott in 2015. The Grenadian stalwart won ahead of India’s Neeraj Chopra (89.49 m), with Germany’s Julian Weber (87.08m) in third.
On the track, Broadbell again demonstrated his class to win the 110m hurdles in 13.10s, upstaging American World and Olympic champion Grant Holloway (13.14s), while compatriot Hansle Parchment (13.23s) closed well for third.
Puerto Rico’s Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (12.35s) was also in winning form in the women's 100m hurdles, as Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent produced a credible performance on her Diamond League debut for third. Nugent, who failed to finish at the Paris Olympic Games after hitting an obstacle, clocked 12.38s, the same as second-placed American Grace Stark.
Reigning World champion Danielle Williams (12.53s) was fifth.
Puerto Rico's Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the women's 100m hurdles.
Jamaica’s trio of Rushell Clayton (53.32s), Janieve Russell (54.38s), and Andrenette Knight (54.93s) were second, third, and fourth, respectively, in the women’s 400m hurdles won by Dutchwoman Femke Bol in a new meet record of 52.25s. She lowered her previous best of 52.76s set last year.
Another Jamaican, Tia Clayton (11.10s), placed fifth in the women’s 100m, won by Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in a season’s best 10.88s. American Tamari Davis (10.97s) and Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (11.06s) were second and third.
Meanwhile, Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando (19.94s) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (21.10s), both season’s best times, were fourth and fifth in the men’s 200m. The event was won by Botswana’s Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo in 19.64s, ahead of the American duo of Erriyon Knighton (19.78s) and Fred Kerley (19.86s).
In the women’s 800m, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Shafiqua Maloney (1:59.28) and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin (1:59.68), were sixth and eighth, respectively, as Kenya’s Olympic bronze medallist Mary Moraa (1:57.91) finished tops. Great Britain’s Georgia Bell (1:58.53) and Jemma Reekie (1:58.73) were second and third, respectively.
Jamaicans Rushell Clayton and Janieve Russell were second and third in the women's 400m hurdles.
Elsewhere in the field, Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock secured Jamaica’s best finish in the long jump as he cut the sand at 8.01m, again finishing behind Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou (8.06m) of Greece, while Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (7.99m) was third.
The other Jamaican competitors, Tajay Gayle (7.92m) and Carey McLeod (7.82 m), were fourth and seventh, respectively.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd’s struggles continued as she placed fifth in the women’s shot with a best heave of 18.78m. The event was won by American Chase Jackson, who achieved a season’s best mark of 20.64s to top Germany’s Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye (19.55m) and Canada’s Sarah Mitton (19.52m).
Jamaica’s Lamara Distin only managed to clear 1.88m for seventh in the women’s high jump, which was won by Urkaine’s Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh at a height of 1.99m. Australia’s Olympic bronze and silver medallists, Eleanor Patterson (1.96m) and Nicola Olyslagers (1.92m), were second and third, respectively.
Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin and Shafiqua Maloney of St. Vincent and the Grenadines secured their spots in the women’s 800m semi-finals at the Paris Olympic Games after both ran well-paced races to advance from their respective heats at the Stade de France on Friday.
Goule-Toppin comfortably won the sixth and final heat in 1:58.66 in a gate-to-wire performance. She was followed by Australia’s Claudia Hollingsworth (1:58.77) and Kenya’s Lilian Odira (1:58.83).
Prior to that, Maloney clocked a new national record of 1:58.23 for third place in heat five, behind Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma (1:57.90) and Kenya’s Mary Moraa (1:57.95).
Earlier, Great Britain’s Jemma Reekie comfortably topped heat one in a flat 2:00.00, ahead of fast-finishing Slovakian Gabriela Gajanova (2:00.29) and American Juliette Whittaker (2:00.45).
Cuba’s Daily Cooper Gaspar proved better than the rest in heat two, as she won in 1:58.88. South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso (1:59.84) and Switzerland’s Rachel Pellaud (2:00.07) took the other qualifying spots.
In heat three, Ethiopia’s Worknesh Mesele finished tops in a personal best of 1:58.07, ahead of Frenchwoman Renelle Lamote (1:58.59) and Great Britain’s 17-year-old prodigy Phoebe Gill (1:58.83). Cuba’s Rose Mary Almanza placed sixth in 2:00.36 and will contest the Repechage round.
Another Great Britain stalwart, Keely Hodkinson (1:59.31), outclassed rivals in heat four, with American Nia Akins (1:59.67) and Benin’s Noelie Yarigo (1:59.68) also progressing. Jamaica’s Adelle Tracey was eighth in that heat in a season’s best 2:03.47 and will have to contest the Repechage round for another shot at the semi-final.
British World Championship silver medallist signaled his intent to go one better at the Paris Olympics with a brilliant performance to win the 400m at the London Diamond League on Saturday.
In his home stadium, Hudson-Smith, whose mother hails from Hanover in Jamaica, covered the field in the first 300m before showcasing his endurance and strength in the last 100m on his way to a new personal best, national record and world leading 43.74, his first time under 44 seconds.
American Vernon Norwood ran a personal best 44.10 in second while Trinidadian Jereem Richards scaled to new heights in the event with a personal best of his own, 44.18, in third.
Signaling the speed on display in the race, Britain’s Charlie Dobson ran a personal best 44.23 in fourth while Olympic and World champion Kirani James’ season’s best 44.38 was only good enough for fifth.
The women’s 200m saw St. Lucian Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist Julien Alfred produce a personal best and national record 21.86 for second.
American Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas won in a meet record 21.82 while British 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith was third in a season’s best 22.07.
The women’s 800m saw multiple time World Championship and Olympic finalist Natoya Goule-Toppin run a season’s best 1:56.83 for fourth.
Great Britain swept the top three spots led by World Championship silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson’s personal best, national record and world leading 1:54.61. Jemma Reekie was second in a personal best 1:55.61 while Georgia Bell also ran a personal best 1:56.28 in third.
Natoya Goule-Toppin and Tarees Rhoden secured the respective female and male 800m titles on day two of the JAAA National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday.
Goule-Toppin ran a season’s best 1:59.06 to win her tenth national title ahead of the University of Houston’s Kelly-Ann Beckford (2:01.01) who was the only other athlete in the race.
Goule-Toppin now heads to the Olympic Games for the third time.
“This time last year I was running faster but an injury in March delayed me a bit and I’m now coming off a chest cold last week so, I know I’m way better than I did today,” Goule-Toppin told Sportsmax.tv after the race.
Rhoden ran 1:45.94 to take top spot over defending champion and national record holder Navasky Anderson (1:47.01) and Dennick Luke (1:47.36).
“It’s been a few years since I’ve run in Jamaica so I’m really grateful. I’m a bit disappointed with the time but I’m still learning. It was a nice blowout round before I go up to the professional level so I’m grateful for this win under my resume,” Rhoden said after his race.
Bahamian 400m Olympic Champion Steven Gardiner, and Jamaica’s World Championships long jump finalist Carey McLeod, stood out among the Caribbean performances as they topped their respective events at the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar on Friday.
McLeod, who was fourth at the Xiamen meet, displayed mark improvement on this occasion to top the event with a wind-aided leap of 8.52m. He recovered from a failed attempt at the start to cut the sand at 8.14m, before achieving the winning leap on his fourth attempt in a positive 5.2 metres per second wind reading.
The 26-year-old topped a stacked field which included Greece’s Olympic and World champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, who had to settle for second on this occasion with a season’s best leap of 8.36m. Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer (8.30m), was third, while Jamaica’s 2019 World champion Tajay Gayle (8.01m) was fifth, and Bahamian LaQuan Nairn (7.59m) eighth.
For Gardiner, it was a case of picking up where he left off, as he continued his rich early season form in the 400m with another classy display. He went out hard from lane five and quickly covered rivals on the outside at the 250m mark, before pulling away in the latter stages to win in 44.76s.
Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga, closed fast for second in a season’s best 45.07s, while Botswana’s Leungo Scotch (45.29s) was third.