New mum Fraser-Pryce runs 100m in under 11secs in London
Olympic champ comes under 11 secs in 100m
LONDON: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s postpregnancy climb back to the top of women’s sprinting took another significant step on Saturday when she dipped under 11 seconds for the first time this season to win the London Diamond League 100 metres.
The 31-year-old double Olympic and triple world champion over the distance gave birth to her first child last August and has vowed to get back into the medal mix.
“I’m so excited, that is so good,” said the Jamaican. “I took the time off, I didn’t pay any attention to what others said about my comeback.
“I continued to work hard and London is definitely the best place and to come here and win, with my first sub-11, is fantastic,” added the Jamaican, who won her second Olympic gold and a 200m silver at the stadium in 2012.
“I’m used to sacrificing and making sure that my path is right. Being a mother is my first priority and to come back and be flexible with my training is wonderful and I’m so excited about next year now.”
American Dezerea Bryant took second in 11.04 ahead of Jamaica’s Jonielle Smith, who ran an 11.07 personal best.
Season leader Marie-Josee Ta Lou, her Ivory Coast teammate Murielle Ahoure and Jamaican Elaine Thompson all opted to run the 100m in the Monaco Diamond League on Friday night.
American Ronnie Baker took a close men’s 100m in 9.90, holding off fast-finishing Briton Zharnel Hughes (9.93) and South African Commonwealth Games winner Akani Simbine (9.94).
“I knew this was a fast track and I felt fast today,” said Baker after a race where six men broke 10 seconds.
“Two 9.90s today [his heat time] and I know consistency means that a drop in time is coming. Hopefully I can take that world lead and better it. There is a lot of competition.”
World indoor 60m champion Christian Coleman had been due to race but aggravated a hamstring injury while warming up for his heat and was forced to withdraw.
Norwegian world champion Karsten Warholm claimed another national record of 47.65 in winning the 400m hurdles.
Day one of this two-day meeting did not quite hit the stellar heights of the dazzling Diamond League meeting in Monaco on
Friday but the 20,000 crowd dotted around the 2012 Olympic Stadium were treated to an outdoor world-best by Britain’s Tom Bosworth in the 3000m walk, with the former circus performer clocking a time of 10 minutes 43.84 seconds.
Competing in a French national football shirt, Renaud Lavillenie looked on course to celebrate his country’s World Cup football success as he nailed first-time clearances from 5.61 metres to 5.86 metres in the pole vault.
However, when the bar was raised to 5.92m the world record-holder was unable
to clear and with two further failures at 5.97m, Lavillenie found himself trumped by world champion Sam Kendricks of the United States.
Kendricks nailed 5.92m at his first attempt and had two unsuccessful vaults at a potential US record height of 6.06m.
Like Kendricks, Norway’s Karsten Warholm also enjoyed a happy return to the track where he won world championship gold last year, the former decathlete setting a Norwegian record of 47.65sec in the men’s 400m hurdles.
Kirani James was a 19-year-old
sensation when he won the Olympic 400m title on the London track in 2012.
But six years on, the tall Grenadian is on the comeback trail after being diagnosed with Graves’s disease and, in his first Diamond League race for two years, he found himself overshadowed on Saturday by Qatar’s world championship bronze medallist Abdalah Haroun.
James had to settle for third place in 44.50sec as Haroun finished like a train to claim victory in a Qatari record of 44.07. Paul Dedwo of the USA took second in 44.43.