Clayton Wins, James 2nd, Jackson 5th on Tough Day at Oslo Diamond League

May 31, 2024

Oslo Diamond League Rushell Clayton at the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA — Rushell Clayton at the Oregon22 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, USA

OSLO, Norway — Thursday’s (30 May) Oslo Diamond League was marked by a mix of fierce competition and challenging performances for Caribbean athletes, with Rushell Clayton emerging as the standout victor.

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The highlight of the day for the Caribbean contingent came from Rushell Clayton, who won the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.02 seconds. Jamaican athletes dominated this event, with Andrenette Knight finishing second in a season-best (SB) of 54.63 seconds and Janieve Russell securing third with an SB of 55.07 seconds.

Clayton spoke after her victory, saying “I have never expected the conditions like that but nevertheless, it was a good race.”

“My execution felt well and I cannot ask for more than to win. It is always good to win. Each race is a challenge and I am working towards a bigger goal. So whenever these ladies decide to compete, I will be there to do the same, to compete,” a confident Clayton told journalists.

However, beyond Clayton’s victory, it was a tough day for many other Caribbean competitors. Shericka Jackson, competing in the women’s 200m, finished fifth, clocking 22.97 seconds. The event was won by Brittany Brown from the USA in a season-best 22.32 seconds, with Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith of Ivory Coast taking second in 22.36 seconds and Daryll Neita from Great Britain placing third in 22.50 seconds.

American Brown was very happy with her performance. “I had confidence going into this race – I knew I could win and I did exactly what my coach told me what to do. I feel strong and I’ve come along way so I feel really good.Today was really nice and now I’ll probably have some icecream to celebrate.”

In the men’s 400m, Grenada’s Kirani James delivered a strong performance, finishing second with an SB of 44.58 seconds. Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald placed eighth with a time of 47.60 seconds. Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain won the race with an Area Record and Personal Best (ARPB) of 44.07 seconds, while Vernon Norwood from the USA finished third with an SB of 44.68 seconds.

James said: “I tried to improve after the first 200m – I needed to work on that after my last race. I am just trying to improve each race. I haven’t changed anything in training, just more practise racing.”

Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin showcased her talent in the women’s 800m, finishing second with an SB of 1:59.10. The race was won by Prudence Sekgodiso from South Africa in 1:58.66, and Catriona Bisset from Australia took third in 1:59.29.

Kyron McMaster from the British Virgin Islands managed a third-place finish in the men’s 400m hurdles with an SB of 48.49 seconds. The event was dominated by Alison dos Santos from Brazil, who clocked a World Lead (WL) time of 46.63 seconds, with Norway’s Karsten Warholm finishing second in an SB of 46.70 seconds.

In the men’s 100m, Jamaica’s Rohan Watson finished sixth with an SB of 10.23 seconds, while his compatriot Yohan Blake placed seventh with a time of 10.29 seconds. Akani Simbine from South Africa won the race in an SB of 9.94 seconds, followed by Abdul Hakim Sani Brown from Japan in 9.99 seconds, and Emmanuel Esume from Cameroon in 10.01 seconds.

Sada Williams from Barbados led the Caribbean charge in the women’s 400m, finishing fifth with an SB of 50.71 seconds. The event was won by Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic in an SB of 49.30 seconds. Natalia Kaczmarek from Poland took second with an SB of 49.80 seconds, and Alexis Holmes from the USA finished third in 50.40 seconds.

In the men’s discus, Jamaica’s Fedrick Dacres placed sixth with a throw of 65.06 meters. Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania won the event with a Meeting Record (MR) throw of 70.91 meters, Matthew Denny from Australia came in second with 67.61 meters, and Daniel Ståhl from Sweden finished third with a throw of 66.80 meters.