Thompson stunned but McLeod shines again

EUGENE, Oregon, CMC – Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson tasted defeated for the first time this season in the 200 metres but fellow Jamaican Omar McLeod kept up his excellent form as he won the men’s sprint hurdles at the Prefontaine Classic here yesterday.

In the third stop of the IAAF Diamond League series, the 24-year-old Thompson never looked the part and crossed the line struggling in a time of 21.98 seconds, behind Bowie who was dominant in a world-leading 21.77.

Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, the reigning Olympic 400m champion, also shocked Thompson to finish second in 21.91 running out of lane eight.

In a star-studded event that also included Dutch sensation Dafne Schippers and American Allyson Felix, Bowie once again showed her love for Haywood Field by repeating her victory from last year.

Running out of lane eight, she produced a blistering curve to leave the field in her wake and the result was never in doubt once she entered the stretch.

Thompson, who was also third in the event here last year, was away slowly, proved sluggish on the bend and was left with too much to do in the last 100m.

Only last week, Thompson easily won the half-lap at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston.

McLeod, meanwhile, who also won gold in Rio last year, extended his great start to the new season when he clocked 13.01 seconds to take top honours.

He led a Jamaican onetwo as Richard Levy powered home second in 13.10, with American Devon Allen third in 13.11.

In the women’s 100 metres, Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye was third in 10.97 as American Morolake Akinosun crossed the line first in 10.94.

Côte d’Ivoire’s Murielle Ahoure finished second in 10.96 but there was disappointment for the Jamaican pair of Veronica CampbellBrown (11.00) and Simone Facey (11.13) who were fourth and fifth respectively.