SHELLY SHINES
JAMAICA’S Shelly-Ann Fraser- Pryce stole the spotlight at the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland yesterday as she upstaged countrywoman and Olympic champion Elaine Thompson Herah to capture the women’s 100 metres in a personal best of 10.60 seconds.
The mark beat her previous best of 10.63 and also went under the 10.72 meet record set 23 years ago by American Marion Jones .
Most of the spotlight was on Thompson Herah before the race following her impressive 10.54 to win in Eugene last Saturday. However, Fraser-Pryce who was second in Tokyo and Eugene had other ideas. She was out of the blocks like a rocket and putting daylight between herself and the field. Thompson Herah ran on strongly but had to settle for second in 10.64. Shericka Jackson finished third in 10.92 for another one-twothree for Jamaica in the event.
“It was cold but I still came out here and did my job,” Fraser-Pryce said after the race. She hinted that she could still run faster. “Believe it or not I still have not yet ran my best race. I know that there is more to give because I still need to work further on perfecting my technique. There will be more from me this season and certainly my goal is to break into the 10.5 range,” she added.
FEELING TIRED
Thompson Herah admitted in her post race interview that the long season is taking a toll on her body. “My body is feeling tired after a long season and especially after four personal best times in a month,” she said.
On a day of mixed fortune, Shanieka Ricketts was the only other Jamaican athlete to finish in the top three after a second-place finish in the women’s triple jump with a wind aided 15.02 metres. Olympic champion and world record holder Yulimer Rojas of Venezuela was first with a best of 15.56, a Diamond League and meet record. Kimberly Williams, the other Jamaican in the event, was fourth with 14.29m.
Making her first Diamond League appearance , Olympic 400 metres finalist Candice McLeod finished fifth in the one-lap event in 51.26 seconds. Olympic Games silver medallist Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won in 50.40.
In the women’s 400 metres hurdles Janieve Russell was sixth in 54.89 seconds while Leah Nugent placed seventh in 56.41. Denmark’s Femke Bol won the event in a meet record 53.05.
In the men’s 110 metres hurdles it was tough luck for Olympic champion Hansle Parchment who was making his first Diamond League appearance in two years. After challenging American Devon Allen for the lead he had problems after crashing into the eighth and ninth barriers and finished eighth in 13.58 seconds. Olympic bronze medallist Ronald Levy took fifth in 13.49 as Allen won in a wind-aided 13.07 (plus 2.9 metres per second).