Olympic Games sprint double champion, Elaine Thompson and 4x100m relay gold medal winner, Asafa Powell, were impressive at Thursday’s (Aug 25) Lausanne Diamond League.
Thompson, whose event, the women’s 100m, had to be re-run, ran 10.78 to take the top spot. The victory was achieved well ahead of American second place finisher, Jenna Prandini, 11.11.
“There was a mix up at the start, so to be able to produce 10.78 on the second attempt is a great time,” said Thompson, whose 100m and 200m triumph in Rio marked the first women’s Olympic sprint double victory in 28 years.
“I’m looking forward to the remainder of the season,” she added.
Other Jamaicans, Veronica Campbell-Brown, 11.27 and Christania Williams, 11.48, may have been the ones affected by the re-run, as they finished 6th and 8th respectively.
Powell’s 9.96 was the only sub-10 seconds in the race. It was also Powell’s 97th time below the mark.
Ben Youssef Meite of Côte d’Ivoire was second in 10.01 and Joel Fearon of Great Britain, 10.05, third.
Julian Forte, also of Jamaica, ran 20.16 for third place in the men’s 200m, which saw Churandy Martina of the Netherlands, running a personal best of 19.81 to beat Panamanian, Alonzo Edward, 19.92.
Omar McLeod, Jamaica’s Olympic 110m hurdles champion, 13.12, was just edged out of the top spot by Spain’s Orlando Ortega, 13.11, reversing the finish order from Rio.
Megan Simmonds, 13.15, was seventh in the women’s 100m hurdles, won by United States’ world record holder, Kendra Harrison, 12.42. Her countrywomen, Dawn Harper-Nelson, 12.71 and Jasmin Stowers, 12.75, followed in that order.
Harrison, who failed to make USA’s Olympic team, but later ran 12.20 to set a new world record, wants more. “My main objective now is to win the next two Diamond League races and hopefully get another personal record,” said Harrison.
Kimberly Williams, 13.75m was sixth in the women’s triple jump, which went to Catherine Ibarguen of Colombia, 14.76m.
Bahamian, Steven Gardiner, 44.75 who was second to American LaShawn Merritt, 44.50 were the only sub-45 seconds finishers in the men’s 400m.
Donald Thomas of Bahamas, 2.25m was joint sixth in the men’s high jump, which saw the world’s top man, Mutaz Essa Barshim clearing 2.35m to win.