LETZIGRUND, Zürich – Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke scored a good morale-boosting win in the men’s 400m in a season’s best 47.49 seconds at the Weltklasse Zurich Diamond League in Switzerland on Thursday (5).
The Jamaican national record-holder, who failed to finish in Paris, was winning his first Diamond League race.
“I came out with the mindset that this is a race that anybody could win, and I wanted to come out on top, and that is what I did today,” said Clarke, who was dipping under 48 seconds for the fifth time in his career.
Clarke’s countrywoman Shiann Salmon ran a lifetime best of 52.97 seconds in the women’s equivalent to stun Paris silver medallist Anna Cockrell (53.17) and Shamier Little (54.07) in an epic race that came to life over the 9th and 10th hurdles.
“I came into this race with a strategy to come out, keep it up until the home straight and then finish strong. I did that and came away with the victory, so I am grateful,” said Salmon, who trailed in third, coming into the home straight before finding another gear and motoring past the American duo.
Wayne Pinnock, who finished second at last year’s Budapest World Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympics in the men’s long jump, handed Greece’s world, Olympic, and European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou his first defeat of 2024. The Jamaican jumped 8.18m in the second round and anxiously waited to see if Tentoglou, known for his final-round clutch performances, would surpass his mark. However, the Greek landed 16cm behind Pinnock’s mark. “My result today shows what I can do,” said Pinnock, who plans to turn professional after completing his final year in college next season. “My victory today is not like revenge. I came out here with my best.”
Tentoglou, on the other hand, appeared unfocused in his series. “I had zero motivation to jump today. It has been a long season, and it was hard in these conditions. I have nothing to prove – I am the Olympic champion. If anybody beats me now, I am like, “I do not care.”
Tebogo’s Blistering Finish Clinches 200m Victory
Letsile Tebogo continued his recent purple patch in the 200m by scoring another impressive come-from-behind victory in 19.55 seconds (+0.4 m/s). The Botswanan recovered from a sluggish start to chase down and overhaul runaway leader Kenneth Bednarek (19.57) and compatriot Erriyon Knighton (19.79).
“Today, I did not run the curve; I only ran the home straight – but with the Olympic final, I ran throughout the whole race,” Tebogo explained. “I will do that at the Diamond League final because there is still more inside me.”
Holloway Sets Sub-13 Record in Men’s 110m Hurdles
Grant Holloway won the men’s 110m hurdles in 12.99 seconds to become the most prolific sub-13 second hurdler ever. “I did not react well to the gun, but that is track and field, so I had to accelerate in the finish,” Holloway opined.
“The main thing for me was to run the most sub-13, and I did that, so it is surreal. Nobody had ever done that many sub-13s, ever. And now, I am at the top of that list, so I am pleased,” said Holloway, who now has 14 sub-13 clockings, six of which have come this season.
Richardson Edges Alfred in Women’s 100m Battle
Sha’Carri Richardson produced a scintillating finish to edge Olympic champion Julien Alfred in the women’s 100m. Richardson burst the tape at 10.84 seconds ahead of Alfred, who registered 10.88 seconds.
The men’s 1500m produced a spectacle similar to the Paris final. However, the placings were shuffled around like a deck of cards this time. American Yared Nuguse, third in Paris, outsprinted Olympic champion Cole Hocker and Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrightsen to take top honours in 3:29.21.
Ingebrightsen claimed second in 3:29.52, and Hocker third in 3:30.46. Briton Josh Kerr, last year’s world champion, looked out of sorts in finishing a disappointing fifth in 3:31.46.
Peters Reigns Supreme in Men’s Javelin with Third-Round Throw
Kenya’s Mary Moraa was a comfortable winner in the women’s 800m in 1:57.08. She led home eight other women who finished in under two minutes, including Britain’s Georgia Bell (1:57.94) and the USA’s Addison Wiley (1:58.16), who finished in second and third, respectively.
Grenada’s Anderson Peters won the men’s javelin with a throw of 85.72m in the third round.
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