World Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a World Lead to win the women’s 100m in 10.74s at the Paris Diamond League, with Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor finishing 2nd in 10.80s, her Season’s Best (SB)
It was a race that Fraser-Pryce was always the favourite to win, especially as it was coming days after she won the Jamaican trials in breathaking fashion with a 10.79s finish. She followed it up with a good performance at the Meeting Areva, coming off the blocks and nicely and powering on to victory. It might not have been the best of starts for Okagbare, but she would be content with her impressive recovery, securing 2nd place with her best finish this year.
America’s English Gardener finished 3rd in 10.97s with Dafne Schippers 4th in 11.02s and Murielle Ahoure 5th in 11.04s. Okagbare is now joint 2nd with 6 points, with Fraser-Pryce topping having gotten 8 points with her two wins this season. The race in Paris is Okagabre’s 3rd of the season in the Diamond League, and she has been lowering her times, with expectations building up as the World Champions approaches.
Days before this meet, world record holder, Usain Bolt pulled out due to an injury, but it didn’t take the shine from the men’s 100m race. His countryman Asafa Powell, fresh from winning the Jamaican title last weekend, followed it up with a win in France his first in the Diamond League this season.
Powell clocked 9.81s running a new SB in the race, beating Jimmy Vicaut who was 2nd in 9.86s and Mike Rodgers 3rd in 9.99s. Vicaut is now the joint European Record holder in the 100m with that 9.86s finishing, and interestingly, he now shares that honours alongside former Nigerian athlete, Francis Obikwelu, who achieved that feat for Portugal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
The men’s 110m was another enthralling race parading some of the finest athletes in a stacked line-up, but it was Cuba’s Orlando Ortega who surprisingly came through, dipping in ahead of David Oliver on the line to win in a Personal Best (PB) of 12.96s. Oliver finished in 2nd place with a time of 12.96s, with Russia’s Sergey Shubenkov 3rd in 13.06s.
One of the biggest upset of the day came in the men’s 400m where the favourite, Kirani James got beaten by South Africa’s Wayde Van Niekerk, who ran an African Record of 43.96s to secure victory. It was a surprise as David Verburg was the one many expected to trouble James, coming at the back of his victory at the US trials where he defeated LaShawn Merrit. James gave the race a good push in the final 200m, but Van Niekerk held of his challenge as he had to settle for 2nd place in 44.17s, with Verburg 3rd in 44.81s.
James still leads in the Diamond Race Contest, but he will have something to worry about knowing that his dominance is under threat, especially if Van Niekerk continues with this form going into the World Championship in August.
The women’s 5000m certainly lived up to the hype, with both Genzebe Dibaba and Almaz Ayana providing the thrills that glued spectators on their seats and TVs respectively. Talks about smashing Tirunesh Dibaba’s World Record were mooted before this race, but it was not be as both Ayana and Genzebe did produce the finish they expected.
With a battle of supremacy already heated up, it was Dibaba who steered clear in the last lap, running with enormous speed as she powered on with her eyes on the clock, emerging triumphant in 14:15.43, in a race both athletes gave their all. Ayana finished 2nd with a time of 14:21:97 while Mercy Cherono ran a PB of 14:34.10 to finish 3rd.
Meanwhile in the women’s 400m hurdlers, former Nigerian athlete, Kemi Adekoya who now represents Bahrain set a new National Record for her adopted country, finishing 3rd in 54.12s. Adekoya led up to the 300m mark, but faded as Zuzana Hejnova won the race in 53.76s, moving up to 2nd on table with 6 points behind Kaliese Spencer who tops with 12 points.
It was a painful experience for Evan Bager who slipped in the home-stretch and gave up his lead in the men’s 3000m Steeplechase, with Kenya’s Jairus Birech capitalising to win in 7:58.83, both WL and MR. Jager picked up himself to finish 2nd in 8:00.45, an American Record. The men’s 1500m was a close finish as Silas Kiplagat, came through in 3:30.12, a WL. Ayanleh Souleiman, finished 2nd in 3:30.17, and Ronald Kwemoi 3rd in 3:30.43.
There was to be no problems for Eunice Jepkoech Sum, who comfortably won her 800m race in 1:56:99, and Rose Mary Almanza finishing 2nd in 1:57:70, with Selina Buchel 3rd 1:57: 95.
The next Diamond League meet will be in Lausanne, and it promises to be an interesting meet just like the Meeting Areva, with the season entering the final lap.
Click here to read our review of the field events.
