Omar McLeod said he is having fun again as he once more signalled his intent to successfully defend his Olympic title with a world-leading 13.01, to win the 110-metres hurdles at the Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy.
The 2016 Olympic champion was running his fastest time since 2019 that equalled Allen Johnson’s meet record set back in 1999.
“It feels good to be winning again. I am having fun again,” said a pleased McLeod afterwards.
“It was a really good race. I put together a technically sound race. I did not hit a hurdle. The weather is a bit shaky but we have to put up with this.
“The time is close enough to 13 seconds and I will get under 13 seconds when the time is right. Now I had two solid races back to back and I am getting better with every race. It is good to get opportunities to race again.”
Great Britain’s Andrew Pozzi ran 13.25 for second place while Wilhem Belocian clocked 13.31, a season’s best for the Frenchman, who was third.
Shane Brathwaite of Barbados was fifth in 13.46.
Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn was equally impressive in winning the women’s sprint hurdles event in meet record 12.38, the second-fastest time in the world this year behind her own 12.32. She broke Russia’s Vera Komisova’s record of 12.39 that had stood since 1980.
“Actually, I did much better than I thought I would. I was really nervous at the start, so all I could think when I was in the blocks was to have a good start, push really hard, and be good to go,” said Camacho-Quinn, who has plans to go even faster as the Olympics draw nearer.
“Of course, I want to run faster, but I just take it as it comes - I've been very consistent with my races, so I'm really excited, and not rushing at all. I'm looking forward to the Olympics this year - it will be like redemption from my fall in 2016 - I'm really excited, training really hard, work really hard, but really looking forward to it.”
Meanwhile, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas was the runner-up in 12.80. Elvira Herman of Belarus ran a season-best 12.85 for third while Jamaica’s Megan Tapper was fourth in 12.94.
Dina Asher-Smith, the reigning world and European champion destroyed a talented field to win the 200m in 22.06, the second-fastest time in the world this year.
It was also a meet record for the Briton, erasing Marion Jones’ 22.19 set in 1999, and who said afterwards that the victory was an essential one.
“It was really important to do a good race here today. Obviously, it's been really hard over the past year and a bit because of the pandemic - so I'm really proud to be able to put that kind of time, and I definitely have more in me,” she said.
Asher-Smith won handsomely over the Ivory Coast’s Marie Josee Ta Lou, who stumbled at the start but recovered to run a season-best 22.58 for second place.
“I am very satisfied with the time because I nearly fell at the start. Then I really had to get out of the curve quick and fast. I have not run as fast as 22.58 seconds since 2017. Now I know that all the work I put in pays off and is worth it. The shape is there. And it keeps getting better and better. Now I will go back home to my country and train. And in July I will come back to Europe for some meetings,” she said.
Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji ran a season-best 22.60 for third.
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Double gold: Jamaica sweeps sprint relay finals at World Under-20 Championships
Saturday’s final day of the 2024 World Athletics Under-20 Championships was a productive one for Jamaica in the 4x100m relay as both the female and male quartets claimed gold medals.
The women combined to run a season’s best 43.39 to win gold ahead of Switzerland (44.06) and Canada (44.60).
200m bronze medallist Shanoya Douglas ran the first leg before handing off to Alliah Baker. Baker ran a solid leg before handing off to Briana Campbell who then gave the baton to individual 100m champion Alana Reid who then brought it home.
The men’s race was as exciting as they come with Deandre Daley producing a brilliant anchor leg to secure gold for Jamaica in 39.18 ahead of Great Britain (39.20) and Thailand (39.39).
Jamaica were on the back foot early after the opening leg from Jace Witter before the second and third legs from Gary Card and Nyrone Wade, respectively, meant that Daley got the baton in fourth and in striking distance of the top three.
Similar to what he did at the 2023 Carifta Games in Nassau, Daley then produced an excellent anchor leg comeback to secure the gold for Jamaica.
Elsewhere, Jamaica’s Shaiquan Dunn threw 59.79m for seventh in the final of the men’s discus. The USA’s Bryce Ruland took gold with a personal best 62.59m ahead of The Netherlands’ Jarno Van Daalen (62.22m) and Finland’s Mico Lampinen (62.20).
The USVI’s Michelle Smith narrowly missed out on a medal in the women’s 400m hurdles final, finishing fourth in 57.21. France’s Meta Tumba took gold in a national under-20 record 55.59. Poland’s Wiktoria Gadajska ran a national under-20 record 56.87 in second while South Africa’s Hannah Van Niekerk was third in a personal best 56.98.
Alfred, Richardson to renew rivalry from Paris at Zurich Diamond League on Sept 5
St Lucia’s 100m Olympic champion Julien Alfred and American silver medallists Sha’Carri Richards are set to renew their rivalry at next week’s Zurich Diamond League, which will mark their first meeting since the Paris Olympic Games.
The September 5 meet to be held at the Weltklasse will be an opportunity for Alfred to solidify her class and status against some of the best in the world, while for Richardson, it will be a shot at redemption where possibly lowering the St Lucian’s colours is concerned.
That cool and wet August 3 night at the Stade de France will be fresh in the minds of both athletes, as Alfred became her country's first Olympic champion when she exploded from the blocks and maintained her speed and composure to hold off a charging Richardson, who had to overcome a slow reaction out of the blocks to make up ground.
Alfred, 23, later added more accolades and history to her name with a silver medal win in the 200m, becoming her island’s Saint Lucia's first-ever double Olympic medallist.
For Richardson, 24, making up ground after a slow start—which is somewhat of a bad habit, as she stumbled at US Olympic Trials and came back to win—underscored her blistering turn of foot.
Though her quality was always on display, many didn’t view her as a title contender until she swept past both Jamaican stalwarts Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson to win last year's World Championships title.
In this rematch between Alfred and Richardson, Great Britain’s European champion Dina Asher-Smith will also be added to the mix to get her shot at both, as she surprisingly missed out on the Paris Olympic final after she placed fifth in her semi-final.
It is indeed set to be an intriguing showdown between four of the world’s best female sprinters, as Switzerland's Mujinga Kambundji, who placed sixth in Paris, will also be aiming to make an impression on home soil.
BVI's Adaejah Hodge, Ja's Shanoya Douglas cop gold, bronze in women's 200m at World U-20 Champs
Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) delivered a stunning performance to cop gold in the women’s 200m final at the World Under-20 Championships, while Jamaica’s Shanoya Douglas claimed bronze in Lima, Peru, on Friday.
Hodge, 18, who claimed silver in the same event at the 2022 Championships, upgraded her medal to gold as she topped the field in 22.74s, marking a significant milestone in her budding career.
The Olympian’s victory was the highlight of a successful night for the Caribbean, as 16-year-old Douglas also secured a spot on the podium, finishing third in 23.10s in a thrilling race that once again showcased the region's sprinting prowess. The Caribbean duo was separated by Australia’s Torrie Lewis, who clocked a personal best of 22.88s for second.
From the gun, Hodge, who was determined to improve on her previous silver medal finish, established herself as a solid contender for the top spot. With powerful strides and impeccable form, she maintained her composure around the curve and later exploded in the straight to leave rivals in her wake.
Hodge’s win and Douglas’ bronze brought the curtains down on what was the most successful for the Caribbean since the start of the five-day Championships, as Kerrica Hill earlier copped Jamaica’s second gold medal when she clocked 12.99s to top the women’s 100m hurdles. She won ahead of Croatia’s Mia Wild (13.15s) and Delta Amidzovski (13.24s) of Australia.
Jamaica now has two gold medals and one bronze, while Hodge claimed her country's first medal.
Carlos Brown Jr (21.51s) of the Bahamas finished eighth in the men's 200m final.
Prior to that, Jamaica’s Richard Hall and Cuba’s Yander Herrera missed out on the podium in the men’s final, as both clocked in at 13.46s for fifth and sixth. The event was won by American Ja’Kobe Tharp in a new World Under-20 leading time of 13.05s.
His compatriot Andre Korbmacher (13.14s) was second, with China’s Yuanjiang Chen third in 13.21s, a national Under-20 record.
Meanwhile, Michelle Smith of US Virgin Islands once again established herself as the gold medal favourite, as she was the fastest through to Saturday’s final. Smith clocked a brisk 56.39s to win semi-final two, while Haiti’s Gloria Guerrier (1:00.20) finished eighth and failed to progress.
Jamaica’s Kelly Ann Carr suffered a similar fate in semi-final three as she placed eighth in 1:00.33.
Only one Caribbean athlete will be present in the men’s final and that is Jamaica’s Daniel Wright, who topped semi-final three in 51.11s, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Cheyne West (53.09s) placed seventh in the same race and missed out.
Another Jamaican Trevoy Smith (54.24s), also finished down the track in a brisk semi-final one, which saw the top two qualifiers crossing the line together in a World Under-20 leading time of 49.36s.
The 400m hurdles finals are scheduled for 4:35pm Jamaica time on Saturday.
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