Nugent lifts first Diamond League trophy

Ackera Nugent defeated a strong field to capture the women’s 100m hurdles at yesterday’s Weltklasse Zurich Wanda Diamond League finals in Switzerland.

Her run was the highlight of a fairly good day for Jamaica as Tia Clayton, Andrenette Knight, Ackeem Blake, and Roje Stona also secured top-three finishes.

On a day that saw several meet records and personal best performances, Nugent shone the brightest for Jamaica and won her first Diamond League Trophy. After placing third in last year’s final, she returned to her early season form following three below-par outings. Nugent won in 12.30 seconds, equalling her season’s best. Switzerland’s Ditaji Kambundji set a national record with 12.40 for second, while Grace Stark of the United States took third in 12.44, edging Jamaican Danielle Williams, who was given the same time but placed fourth.

Nugent was pleased with her performance.

“This shows I am really in good shape. My strength is there and I’m finding consistency. As the World Championships gets closer, some adjustments need to be made. At every race, I try to focus on myself, not on controlling others. I just ask the Lord to help me follow my dreams and block out distractions. All I care about is the sound of the start gun.”

There was a lot of focus on the women’s 100m, where Tia Clayton needed a win to claim a bye for the World Athletics Championships. She ran a gallant race but the season’s second-fastest woman, St Lucia’s Julien Alfred, the defending Diamond League champion and Olympic champion, was too strong.

Clayton exploded from the blocks and led up to the 70m mark, but Alfred’s powerful top-end speed carried her to victory in 10.76 seconds. Clayton was second in 10.84 while Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou Smith, who ran under protest after being red-flagged for a false start, won her appeal and kept third in 10.94.

“Coming second at a Diamond League meet means a lot, but it’s not what I wanted. I came here for the win. My coach told me I could win today, so I’m not proud of myself. I wanted to make it to the World Championships through the bye,” a disappointed Tia Clayton said.

There were third-place finishes for Blake, Knight, and Stona.

In a very close men’s 100m, Blake was third in 9.99. The race went to Christian Coleman of the USA in 9.77, with Akani Simbine of South Africa second in 9.78.

Knight clocked 53.76 seconds for third in the women’s 400m hurdles. Femke Bol of the Netherlands maintained her unbeaten streak winning in a meet record 52.18. Emma Zapletalova of Slovakia was second in a national record 53.18.

Olympic discus champion Roje Stona produced his best on the final attempt with 66.15m to take third. World leader Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania won with 68.89m, while Kristjan Čeh of Slovenia took second with 67.18m.

National champions Shanieka Ricketts, Jordan Scott, Romaine Beckford, and Orlando Bennett missed out on the podium.

Beckford was fourth in the men’s high jump with 2.22m. New Zealand’s Hamish Kerr won with 2.32m. Scott also placed fourth in the men’s triple jump with 17.16m, behind Italy’s Andy Díaz Hernández, who won with 17.56m.

Ricketts was fifth in the women’s triple jump with 14.35m. Cuba swept the podium, led by world leader Leyanis Hernández Díaz (14.91m), followed by Liadagmis Povea (14.72m) and Davisleydi Velazco (14.65m).

Bennett was seventh in the men’s 110m hurdles, clocking 13.35. USA’s Cordell Tinch equalled the 1989 meet record of Great Britain’s Roger Kingdom with his 12.92 win. Spain’s Enrique Llopis ran a season’s best 13.12 for second, while Jamal Britt of the USA was third in 13.21.

Two outstanding meet records came in the flat 400m and men’s 400m hurdles.

World leader Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain turned the tables on Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, winning the women’s 400m in 48.70 — the second-fastest time in the world this year. Paulino was second in 49.23, with Norway’s Henriette Jæger third in a national record 49.49.

Karsten Warholm of Norway stormed to victory in the men’s 400m hurdles in 46.70, a new meet record. Abderrahman Samba of Qatar was second in 47.45, followed by Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel in 47.56.

The meet ended with two thrilling 200m races.

In the women’s event, Brittany Brown of the USA chased down early leader Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain to win in 22.13 (-0.4). Asher-Smith was second in 22.16, while Ta Lou-Smith clocked a season’s best 22.25 for third.

Noah Lyles of the USA produced his trademark late burst to catch Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana on the line, winning the men’s 200m in 19.74 (-0.6). Tebogo was second in 19.76, with Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic third in 20.14.