Elaine Thompson-Herah was a happy camper after cruising to victory in the 100m at the Diamond League meeting in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday. The Tokyo Olympics 100m champion clocked an easy-looking 10.83 that was a new meet record, eclipsing her own meet record of 10.87 set back in 2017.
“I feel amazing about the race today. This is my third time in Rabat and I'm super excited about the new meeting record of 10.83,” said the fastest woman alive while promising more of the same when she competes in Rome on Thursday, June 9.
“For the next event in Rome, I'm following the same process and keeping up the same pace.”
Meanwhile, Marie Jose Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast produced a late surge to overtake Jamaica’s Natasha Morrison, crossing the finish line in a season-best 11.04. Morrison also ran a season best 11.22 for the final podium spot.
The Women’s 400m was an all-Caribbean affair that was won by the Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, who timed her finish to perfection storming past Jamaica’s McPherson and Barbados’ Sada Williams at the top of the final straight to win 50.10.
“I am happy to get this win here in Rabat. It is an important achievement for me and for my country, especially in the eyes of the world,” the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist said afterwards.
“The race was quick, but I managed to cross the line first. I trained well and this helped me to do my best. For me, my participation in Rabat is good preparation for the world championship.”
McPherson, who went out hard, had little left down the home straight and was overtaken by Williams, who clocked a season best 50.74 for second place while McPherson also ran a season-best time, 51.37, despite fading badly over the final 50m of the race.
Dominica’s Thea LaFond produced a late winning jump of 14.46m to win the triple jump competition ahead of Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts, who had a season-best 14.43 and Slovenia’s Neja Filipic, who produced a lifetime best of 14.42m for third.
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“Just want to execute a good 200m”: Jackson ready to bounce back in Stockholm
Two-time World 200m champion Shericka Jackson is looking to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the 200m at the Oslo Diamond League on Thursday when she competes in the event at the Stockholm Diamond League on Sunday.
Jackson opened her season in the half lap event on May 19 at the Marrakech Diamond League with 22.82 to win before running 22.97 for fifth in Oslo two days ago.
“I would say it’s an okay year, so far. Have not run my best 200m yet but I’ve been working. I just need to put a good 200m together before the Jamaica trials. Hopefully, I can do that tomorrow,” she said at the pre-meet press conference on Saturday.
Jackson says that her focus is also on getting in good enough shape to get through the Jamaica trials set for June 27-30.
“Once I compete at the trials then everything afterwards matters. Once I get through that, we’ll take it from there,” she said.
Her apparent lack of competition sharpness is coming from running less races up to this point this season than she did last year.
“I think last year I was running a lot more and this year I’ve only run two races, so far. I’m trying to put the pieces together and coach and I have been working so I’m definitely hoping for a better race tomorrow than in Oslo,” she added.
The 29-year-old has no specific time in mind for tomorrow, with her only objective being to execute a good 200m.
“I just want to execute a good 200m. Once I do that a season’s best is possible,” she said.
Jackson seeks to bounce back against Brown in 200m as Clayton faces Bol test in 400m hurdles in Stockholm
After a sub-par showing on last, reigning World 200m champion Shericka Jackson will definitely be hoping to make the Stockholm Diamond League meet a memorable one on Sunday.
The 29 year-old Jamaican sprinter has gone faster than anyone over 200m except 1988 Olympic champion Florence Griffith Joyner.
However, a fifth place at the Oslo Diamond League on Thursday raised questions about Jackson’s fitness ahead of this Summer’s Paris Olympic Games. Still, Jackson is as determined as athletes come and she will no doubt look to assuage concerns with a speedy time in Stockholm.
On the other hand, American Brittany Brown will look to rattle her confidence once more. Brown scored an upset victory with a time of 22.32 seconds in Oslo. The result has vaulted the American sprinter into the Olympic selection conversation ahead of their Olympic Team Trials in late June.
Brown is slated to run both the 100m and 200m in Stockholm. Gambia’s Gina Bass, Cote d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith and Jamaica’s Natasha Morrison will also line up in the 100m, while Jackson and fellow Americans Anavia Battle and Jenna Prandini will be Brown’s biggest rivals in the 200m.
Jamaica’s Ryiem Forde Forde will have his hands full in the men’s 100m, as he faces Japanese Hakim Sani Brown, the runner-up in Oslo, Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon, and American Kyree King.
Rushell Clayton's rich vein of form to be tested by Femke Bol.
Another highly anticipated women’s track event is the 400m hurdles, where in-form Jamaican Rushell Clayton will lock horns with Dutch world champion Femke Bol, who will make her season debut in the event at Stockholm’s Olympic stadium.
Clayton has grown from strength to strength since copping bronze at last year’s World Championships. She secured victories in Oslo on Thursday, and prior to that, won in Rabat, as well as at the Jamaica Athletics Invitational Meet, where she clocked a season’s best 53.72s. She will again be joined by compatriots Andrenette Knight and Janieve Russell, who were a part of the Jamaican sweep of the podium at the in Oslo, with World champion Bol now joining the party.
World Championships silver medallist Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands is expected to be one of the toughest rivals for Alison Dos Santos of Brazil in the men’s 400m hurdles.
But McMaster will have much to do, as Dos Santos has been holding superb form and is undefeated in the event. Dos Santos has won both of his races on the Diamond League circuit this year in impressive times, the most recent being a season’s best 46.63s-clocking in Oslo.
Meanwhile, the women’s triple jump seems headed to be a Caribbean affair with world indoor champion Thea Lafond of Dominica, two-time World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica, and world indoor silver medallist, Leyanis Perez Hernandez of Cuba again set to battle for the podium spots. Another Jamaican Kimberley Williams will be aiming to improve on her recent performances.
Elsewhere in the field, Fedrick Dacres and Danniel Thomas-Dodd will also be hoping to improve their form in the men’s discus and women’s shot put respectively.
Omanyala aims for fast time in 100m at Racers Grand Prix in Kingston
Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man, is eager to deliver a fast performance in the 100m at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston, Jamaica, later today. The 28-year-old will face World Champion Noah Lyles, Jamaica’s Oblique Seville, and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes in a highly anticipated race expected to be the highlight of the meet.
At a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus in Kingston on Friday, Omanyala discussed his goals and the significance of competing in Jamaica.
“Since the start of the season, I haven’t had good weather to run in because I have been running in rain, cold weather, so I’m happy I’m in Jamaica and it’s very hot," Omanyala said. "Looking at my previous runs in hot weather, my best one was in Botswana where I ran 9.78, so I am looking forward to running and I am looking for a very fast time.”
Omanyala expressed his excitement about finally making it to Jamaica after multiple invitations.
“I am happy to be in Jamaica. I’ve been invited more than twice, so I’m glad I made it this time because it’s far from home. I am glad at this time it came up at a point where we are having our US tour, so it was close, and I am happy to be here. I’ve been told I have so many fans, so I want to see that on Saturday.”
The Kenyan sprinter also explained why he has set his sights on Usain Bolt’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, set in August 2009 at the Berlin World Championships.
“When I started running, the African record was far, and nobody thought that it could be broken, but we broke it twice. So, the same thing I say for all records—it is not that it is impossible, so we’ll get there,” said Omanyala, who holds the African record of 9.77 seconds set at the Kip Keino Classic in 2021.
With favorable weather conditions and a strong field of competitors, Omanyala is poised to make a significant impact at the Racers Grand Prix. Fans are eagerly awaiting his performance, hoping to witness a thrilling race and potentially record-breaking time.
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