Goule-Toppin ran a season’s best 1:59.06 to win her tenth national title ahead of the University of Houston’s Kelly-Ann Beckford (2:01.01) who was the only other athlete in the race.
Goule-Toppin now heads to the Olympic Games for the third time.
“This time last year I was running faster but an injury in March delayed me a bit and I’m now coming off a chest cold last week so, I know I’m way better than I did today,” Goule-Toppin told Sportsmax.tv after the race.
Rhoden ran 1:45.94 to take top spot over defending champion and national record holder Navasky Anderson (1:47.01) and Dennick Luke (1:47.36).
“It’s been a few years since I’ve run in Jamaica so I’m really grateful. I’m a bit disappointed with the time but I’m still learning. It was a nice blowout round before I go up to the professional level so I’m grateful for this win under my resume,” Rhoden said after his race.
In his home stadium, Hudson-Smith, whose mother hails from Hanover in Jamaica, covered the field in the first 300m before showcasing his endurance and strength in the last 100m on his way to a new personal best, national record and world leading 43.74, his first time under 44 seconds.
American Vernon Norwood ran a personal best 44.10 in second while Trinidadian Jereem Richards scaled to new heights in the event with a personal best of his own, 44.18, in third.
Signaling the speed on display in the race, Britain’s Charlie Dobson ran a personal best 44.23 in fourth while Olympic and World champion Kirani James’ season’s best 44.38 was only good enough for fifth.
The women’s 200m saw St. Lucian Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist Julien Alfred produce a personal best and national record 21.86 for second.
American Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas won in a meet record 21.82 while British 2019 World Champion Dina Asher-Smith was third in a season’s best 22.07.
The women’s 800m saw multiple time World Championship and Olympic finalist Natoya Goule-Toppin run a season’s best 1:56.83 for fourth.
Great Britain swept the top three spots led by World Championship silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson’s personal best, national record and world leading 1:54.61. Jemma Reekie was second in a personal best 1:55.61 while Georgia Bell also ran a personal best 1:56.28 in third.
Goule, a finalist in the 800m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, has spent much of the season working on her speed and strength, running the 1500m and 400m races in preparation for what is expected to be a keenly contested battle for 800m medals the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
The 30-year-old Jamaican, who holds the Jamaican national record of 1:56.15, Goule ran the 400m in 52.40 at the Torrin Lawrence Memorial at the Spec Towns Track in Athens, Georgia on Saturday. The time was close to the 52.22, her fastest time since 2011, that she ran at the UCF Knights Invitational in Florida, just over a week ago.
However, while her time was slower on Saturday, it brought a greater level of excitement for the diminutive Jamaican. “It went well. I ran 52:40 after a loaded week of practice, so I’m excited,” she said.
“The work volume was high compared to regular times. The times were faster and I trained through the week as if I didn’t have a race. The 400 was just part of my training for that week.”
She revealed that the back-to-back races and the times tell her that she is on track to meet her objectives this season.
“It means a lot to me, because after what I did in the week and still was able to compete in the 400 and run 52.40, that shows how strong I am this year,” she said.
“God has been helping me through workouts and continuing to show me that I am better than how I was and I am extremely happy about where I am.”
On Saturday, Goule blew away her opponents in the one-lap sprint as second-placed Andrea Foster was more than two seconds behind in 54.55 while Courtney Williams was third in 54.91.
Now, having tested her speed on consecutive weekends, Goule will face a test of her strength when she runs the 1500m at the Mt Sac Relays on May 9.
The 25-year-old Scot clocked a time of 2:02.72 as she finished 0.82 seconds behind Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma.
Reekie told the BBC: “I knew those girls were going to throw something at me that they were confident with, and they were just better than me today.
“I didn’t want anything other than the win, but first senior medal, I made some mistakes and I’ll learn something from it.
“It’s my first senior medal and I’ve got to take it. I’ve got one now and I definitely want one of those Olympic ones, and it will be a good stepping stone forwards.”
There was also bronze for Great Britain in the women’s 4x400m relay earlier in the evening as the team finished with a haul of four medals.
Laviai Nielsen, twin sister Lina Nielsen, Ama Pipi and Jessie Knight again set a new national record – as they had done in the morning’s heats – with a time of 3:26.36.
They came in behind the Netherlands (3:25.07) and the United States, with Jamaica not finishing after the baton came out of Charokee Young’s hand on the third leg, seemingly via accidental contact from Pipi.
Pipi said: “It was a really messy leg but I just stayed focused on what I needed to do and tried to give it to Jessie in a good position, and I think I did that.”
GB’s other two medals had come in the form of golds on Saturday for Reekie’s fellow Scot Josh Kerr in the men’s 3,000m and Molly Caudery in the women’s pole vault.
British pair Georgia Bell and Revee Walcott-Nolan were fourth and sixth respectively in the women’s 1500m final, and team-mate Cindy Sember was seventh in the women’s 60m hurdles, won in a new world record time of 7.65secs by Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas.
The men’s 1500m final included GB’s Adam Fogg coming 14th.
Also among Sunday evening’s finals was the men’s pole vault title being retained by Sweden’s Olympic champion Armand Duplantis.
The 28-year-old Gordon-Powell, a member of Jamaica’s gold-medal winning 4x400m squad at the 2015 World Championships in Helsinki and a silver-medalist as part of the silver-medal team at the Rio 2016 Olympics, revealed her pregnancy on Instagram on Friday.
“I am so in love with these kicks,” she said beneath a picture of her in an advanced stage of pregnancy.
The revelation came a week after her former training partner Shaunae Miller-Uibo announced her pregnancy on social media.
Powell has enjoyed a successful career to date winning gold in the 400m at the NACAC U23 Championships in San Salvador in 2016. She was also the 2017 NCAA 400m outdoor champion.
Last year, after stepping up to the 800m, Gordon-Powell upset the more favoured Natoya Goule to win the Jamaican national title at the National Stadium in Kingston.
The Jamaican team, comprised of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes, and Tia Clayton finished third in their heat with a season-best time of 42.35 seconds, which placed them sixth overall and earned them a coveted spot in the finals.
In stark contrast, Trinidad and Tobago’s women’s relay team faced disappointment. Despite their best efforts, they finished eighth in their heat with a time of 43.99 seconds, which was not enough to advance to the finals. The team, consisting of Akilah Lewis, Sole Frederick, Sanaa Frederick, and Leah Bertrand, gave it their all but ultimately fell short.
The men’s 4x100m relay saw similar heartbreak for Jamaica. The team, made up of Ackeem Blake, Jelani Walker, Jehlani Gordon, and Kishane Thompson, ran a season-best time of 38.45 seconds but finished fourth in their heat and 11th overall, failing to make it to the finals. It was a bitter pill to swallow as they had high hopes for a strong finish.
Elsewhere, the Caribbean faced tough outcomes in other events.
In the women's shot put, Jamaica's Danniel Thomas-Dodd and Lloydricia Cameron, along with Trinidad & Tobago's Portious Warren, did not advance past the qualification round. Thomas-Dodd threw 18.12m, Cameron achieved a season-best of 18.02m, and Warren managed 17.22m. Their efforts were valiant but fell short of the 19.15m qualification standard, ending their Olympic journeys in this event.
The women's 100m hurdles also saw Caribbean athletes falling short. Emelia Chatfield of Haiti and Denisha Cartwright of the Bahamas competed fiercely but did not make it past the repechage round. Chatfield finished sixth in her heat with a time of 13.24 seconds, while Cartwright was seventh, clocking 13.45 seconds. Despite their strong performances, they were unable to advance to the semifinals.
In the men's 800m, St Vincent and the Grenadines' Handal Roban, Jamaica’s Navasky Anderson, and Dominica’s Dennick Luke all faced similar fates in the repechage round. Roban finished fourth with a time of 1:45.80, Anderson fifth in his heat with 1:46.01, and Luke set a national record of 1:46.81 but finished sixth in his heat. None of these times were sufficient to move on to the semifinals, marking the end of their Olympic campaigns in this event.
Bygrave led from start to finish to win the Boys final in 1:51.43 and complete the 800m, 1500m double.
Grenada's Deangelo Brown was second in 1:52.81 while Trinidad & Tobago's Keeran Sriskandarajah was third in 1:52.91.
In the Girls final, Smith bided her time before producing a spirited final lap to take the title in 2:06.18, just outside of the record 2:05.90 set back in 2008 by Natoya Goule.
This gold medal also completes a double for Smith as she took gold in the 400m hurdles on Sunday.
Haiti’s Victoria Guerrier ran 2:07.45 for silver while Jamaica’s Monique Stewart took bronze in 2:07.56.
The Under-17 Boys final saw Jamaica’s Keandre Kelly produce a mature performance to win in 1:56.31.
Guyana’s Kaidon Persaud ran 1:56.53 for silver and Kelly’s teammate Alejandro Palmer ran 1:58.05 to take bronze.
Jamaica secured gold and silver in the Under-17 Girls final through Kevongaye Fowler and Alikay Reynolds.
Fowler took gold in 2:16.97 while Reynolds, as she did in the 1500m, had to settle for silver in 2:17.02.
Grenada’s Annalisa Brown ran 2:18.75 for bronze.
Anderson’s move to the Under Armour-backed professional group marks a new chapter in his career, which has seen a steady rise on the international stage. In his Instagram post, Anderson reflected on the significance of the transition, saying, “The process already started; let’s leave the journey in God’s hands.”
The 24-year-old has established himself as one of Jamaica’s premier middle-distance runners, rewriting the history books for his country in the 800m. Anderson first etched his name in Jamaican athletics lore at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he clocked 1:45.02 to claim silver and set a new national record. That year, he also represented Jamaica at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and made his first senior final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he finished fifth.
Anderson continued to raise the bar for Jamaican middle-distance running in 2023. At the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee, he broke the Jamaican indoor 800m record with a time of 1:46.58. Later that year, he set a new outdoor national record of 1:44.70 on July 30. He capped the season with a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
This year, Anderson competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. While the Olympic Games provided invaluable experience, his move to the UA Mission Run Baltimore club signals a renewed focus on achieving even greater heights in his career.
The Baltimore-based club is renowned for fostering middle-distance talent, and Anderson’s presence will undoubtedly elevate their profile. For Jamaican athletics, his move represents another step in the nation’s ongoing pursuit of excellence across a wide range of disciplines.
James, who finished second behind Hill at the Jamaican National Junior Championships in June in 13.13, sped to a new personal best 13.04 to win heat five and advance at the fastest qualifier.
Hill, who ran a spectacular 12.98 to win that Jamaican junior title, ran a comfortable 13.30 to win heat one and progress.
In the 200m, favourite Brianna Lyston of Jamaica cruised to 23.56 to win heat two and comfortably advance.
Lyston’s teammate Alana Reid is also safely through after running 23.47 to win heat three.
The Dominican Republic’s Lirangi Alonzo Tejada ran a personal best 23.76 for second in heat four to also progress.
Heat six saw Cuba’s Yarima Garcia run a personal best 23.46 to win and advance.
In the 800m, Jamaica’s J’Voughnn Blake successfully advanced to the semi-finals after a 1:48.97 effort to finish fourth in heat six.
In the field, Bahamian Keyshawn Strachan threw 78.87m to lead all qualifiers to the final of the Men’s javelin.
Jamaica’s Jaydon Hibbert jumped out to 16.37m to advance to the final of the Men’s triple jump.
Running in rainy conditions, Powell, a finalist at the NCAA Championships earlier in June, produced a late burst in the final 50 metres of the race to produce 45.50 to win ahead of Nathon Allen (45.64) and Anthony Cox (45.65).
McLeod, a finalist at the Tokyo Olympics last year, produced a strong season’s best of 50.29 to win ahead of Stephenie Ann McPherson (50.49) and Charokee Young (50.76).
There was an upset in the Women’s 800m as eight-time national champion Natoya Goule ran 2:00.83 for second behind Chrisann Gordon-Powell (2:00.35). Adelle Tracey ran 2:01.18 for third.
National record holder and NCAA Championships silver medallist Navasky Anderson ran 1:48.53 to win his first national title ahead of Kimar Farquharson (1:49.36) and Tarees Rhoden (1:49.89).
The 21-year-old was beaten to 800 metres gold at the World Championships by Kenya’s Mary Moraa in Budapest, just 13 months after she also finished second in Eugene.
Hodgkinson’s silver was added to by two 4x400m relay bronze medals on the final day meaning Great British finish with 10 – their joint best at the World Championships, level with Stuttgart in 1993.
She clocked one minute 56.34 seconds with defending champion Athing Mu in third and GB’s Jemma Reekie fifth.
Hodgkinson had been beaten into silver by Mu at last year’s World Championships before Moraa took gold at the Commonwealth Games ahead of her.
Before the final the Olympic silver medallist admitted she owed them both and feels gold is within her grasp.
She said: “I wanted to come here to get gold but it’s another podium and consistency has been the word I’ve been using. It’s three silvers now so it should be at one point I’m going to get a gold, it’s just a matter of when.
“I’m happy with my performance, gutted I didn’t come out on top but it’s great to be up there with the top three in the world.
“Mary got the jump on us and you can’t really afford that with those two girls. It was a really good race from us all.
“It keeps me on my toes. I’m trying to keep the streak going where I consistently pick up medals. It’s that tiny one per cent so I’ll keep striving towards it.”
Hodgkinson was unable to match Moraa’s pace in the home straight as the Kenyan won in one minute 53.03s but at least overhauled Mu with 50m remaining.
The Briton added: “To be consistently up with the best in the world is all I want from my career. I did think I was going to come through on the inside. The line just came quicker than I thought it would.
“I gave it my all, like I always do. I don’t think I put a foot wrong. I do love it. I was really looking forward to it. I was really up for it. I really did believe I was going to win again – you’ve got to believe, that is half the battle.
“It is a different order to last year, who knows what order it will be next year (at the Olympics)?
“It’s an Olympic year – everyone brings even more of their A game than they usually do. There is no stone left unturned. Like I say, we’ll aim for gold again and see what happens.”
Reekie, who split from long-term coach Andy Young in March, was third with 200m left but could not keep pace in the home straight.
She said: “I am proud of the way I ran it. I was brave and I went out, it was probably just a bit hot in the first lap.
“I am proud of the way I ran this season. I went to Jon (Bigg, coach) in an absolute mess and our goal was always to run under two minutes again consistently. To be here in the final is exciting for next year.”
Later, the men’s 4x400m relay team of Alex Haydock-Wilson. Charlie Dobson, Lewis Davey and Rio Mitcham won bronze behind the USA and France.
The women’s squad of Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning, Ama Pipi and Nicole Yeargin also claimed third in a dramatic finish which saw the Netherlands beat Jamaica on the line after a stunning run from Femke Bol.
Morgan Lake finished fourth in the high jump after a clearance of 1.97m.
Hodgkinson followed the pacemaker before striking for home 300m from the line, eventually clocking a time of one minute 55.77 seconds, taking 0.11secs off her previous best set in winning Olympic silver in Tokyo.
“I am a little bit shocked that I ran so fast,” the 21-year-old said. “Paris next year, I will definitely be back.
“The weather was really nice, so warm. I had heard good things about the track. With this full stadium and the great crowd, it was amazing. I am so happy.
“Now the aim is to stay healthy, we still have to see, I want to keep running fast. The focus is on the summer, on Budapest (the World Championships).
“What is next with such a fast time early in the season? Well, I do not know. Hopefully I will run even faster.”
Hodgkinson’s record-breaking run came just half an hour after Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen smashed the two-mile world record by more than four seconds.
Ingebrigtsen left the field trailing in his wake as he recorded a time of seven minutes, 54.10 seconds.
The previous mark was set by Daniel Komen in 1997, three years before Olympic 1,500 metre champion Ingebrigtsen was born.
Records continued to tumble as Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon set a new world’s best for the 5,000m, just a week after doing the same in the 1,500m in Florence.
Kipyegon produced a blistering last lap to pull away from Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey and clock a time of 14:05.20, taking almost a second and a half off Gidey’s previous mark.
The 21-year-old was beaten to 800 metres gold at the World Championships by Kenya’s Mary Moraa in Budapest, just 13 months after she also finished second in Eugene.
Hodgkinson’s silver was added to by two 4x400m relay bronze medals on the final day meaning Great British finish with 10 – their joint best at the World Championships, level with Stuttgart in 1993.
She clocked one minute 56.34 seconds with defending champion Athing Mu in third and GB’s Jemma Reekie fifth.
Hodgkinson had been beaten into silver by Mu at last year’s World Championships before Moraa took gold at the Commonwealth Games ahead of her.
Before the final the Olympic silver medallist admitted she owed them both and feels gold is within her grasp.
She said: “I wanted to come here to get gold but it’s another podium and consistency has been the word I’ve been using. It’s three silvers now so it should be at one point I’m going to get a gold, it’s just a matter of when.
“I’m happy with my performance, gutted I didn’t come out on top but it’s great to be up there with the top three in the world.
“Mary got the jump on us and you can’t really afford that with those two girls. It was a really good race from us all.
“It keeps me on my toes. I’m trying to keep the streak going where I consistently pick up medals. It’s that tiny one per cent so I’ll keep striving towards it.”
Hodgkinson was unable to match Moraa’s pace in the home straight as the Kenyan won in one minute 53.03s but at least overhauled Mu with 50m remaining.
The Briton added: “To be consistently up with the best in the world is all I want from my career. I did think I was going to come through on the inside. The line just came quicker than I thought it would.
“I gave it my all, like I always do. I don’t think I put a foot wrong. I do love it. I was really looking forward to it. I was really up for it. I really did believe I was going to win again – you’ve got to believe, that is half the battle.
“It is a different order to last year, who knows what order it will be next year (at the Olympics)?
“It’s an Olympic year – everyone brings even more of their A game than they usually do. There is no stone left unturned. Like I say, we’ll aim for gold again and see what happens.”
Reekie, who split from long-term coach Andy Young in March, was third with 200m left but could not keep pace in the home straight.
She said: “I am proud of the way I ran it. I was brave and I went out, it was probably just a bit hot in the first lap.
“I am proud of the way I ran this season. I went to Jon (Bigg, coach) in an absolute mess and our goal was always to run under two minutes again consistently. To be here in the final is exciting for next year.”
Later, the men’s 4x400m relay team of Alex Haydock-Wilson. Charlie Dobson, Lewis Davey and Rio Mitcham won bronze behind the USA and France.
The women’s squad of Laviai Nielsen, Amber Anning, Ama Pipi and Nicole Yeargin also claimed third in a dramatic finish which saw the Netherlands beat Jamaica on the line after a stunning run from Femke Bol.
Morgan Lake finished fourth in the high jump after a clearance of 1.97m.
The fast food chain and the University of Arkansas alum announced the partnership in a joint social media post on Saturday.
“KFC St. Vincent is pleased to announce our support for Vincentian athlete Shafiqua Maloney as she journeys to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.”
“As you know it hasn’t been easy for me but I just want to thank you for your love and support. It has meant a lot,” Maloney expressed in the post.
The fast food chain has already donated ECD$5000 to Maloney’s Olympic fund and will donate ECD$1 with every purchase of two meals from the Maloney-inspired ‘800m Menu,’ the ‘Olympic Dream Meal’ and the ‘800m Warrior Wrap.’
That menu will be available at all KFC St. Vincent restaurants from Monday, April 22.
Maloney, 25, garnered significant attention during her recent appearance on the SportsMax Zone in February, where she revealed that she experienced homelessness for several months in the past year and has been unable to compensate her coaches for an extended period of time.
She also shared that her departure from the United States would result in her being barred from reentry until her application for an O-1 visa is approved. This visa application carries a price tag of $8,500.
“Thank you, KFC and thank you in advance St. Vincent and the Grenadines. I hope that you will help support this cause. Paris 2024, I’ll be there!” Maloney said.
On the track, Maloney has had an excellent start to her 2024 season.
She went unbeaten indoors in three races in the 800m, including establishing a new national record 1:58.69 at the Tyson Invitational on February 10.
Outdoors, Maloney set a new meet record 2:00.25 to win the 800m at the Texas Relays on March 28.
She then established a new national record in the 600m at the Miramar Invitational on April 6 with 1:23.80.
A week later, she ran 1:59.97 for victory at the Tom Jones Invitational in Gainesville.
Most recently, she secured the 800m and 1500m double at the John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville on April 19.
The former Petersfield High standout and 2021 NACAC Under-23 champion produced three throws over 19m throughout his series to take the title ahead of Notre Dame’s Michael Schoaf (19.38m) and Wake Forest’s Thomas Kitchell (19.16m).
Jamaican Florida State sophomore Jordan Turner jumped 7.90m for second in the men’s long jump behind teammate Jeremiah Davis who jumped 7.97m for the win. Miami’s Russell Robinson was third with 7.82m.
Moving to the track where Lawrence’s schoolmate, Oneka Wilson, produced a personal best 13.00 to advance to the final of the women’s 100m hurdles as the fastest qualifier.
Another Jamaican Clemson standout, senior Tarees Rhoden, made it through to the final of the men's 800m with a 1:49.17 effort to finish second in his heat.
Lyston, who earlier this season claimed both the SEC and NCAA Indoor 60m titles, produced her first sub-11 time to finish in a close second behind Favour Ofili of Tiger Olympians who won in 10.85.
McKenzie Long of Ole Miss was third in 10.89.
Interestingly, this was Lyston's first 100m race since the Class One final at the 2022 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships.
Elsewhere, LSU’s Jahiem Stern ran 13.43 for third in the men’s 110m hurdles behind the Texas A&M pair Jaqualon Scott (13.34) and Connor Schulman (13.42).
Mississippi State’s Tyrese Reid ran a personal best 1:45.76 for second in the men’s 800m won by Texas A&M’s Sam Whitmarsh in 1:44.46.
Marcus Dropik of Ole Miss ran 1:47.82 in third.
In the field, Kentucky’s Luke Brown produced 16.40m to take the win in the men’s triple jump ahead of Ole Miss’s Iangelo Atkinstall-Daley (15.25m) and Georgia’s Zavien Wolfe (14.84m).
The 25-year-old ran a brilliant 1:57.66 to narrowly miss out on a medal after finishing fourth at the Stade de France.
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, the fastest woman in the world this season, produced 1:56.72 to finally win a global gold medal after silver medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, 2022 World Championships in Eugene and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
African Games champion Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia took silver in 1:57.15 while reigning World and Commonwealth champion, Mary Moraa of Kenya, took bronze in 1:57.42.
Mexico won medals in the first two events on the day when Guillermo Ornelas took bronze in the Men’s 110m Hurdles in 14.05 and Cesar Ponce claimed a silver medal in the 3000m Steeplechase in 8:56.65.
Their compatriot, Israel Alvarez, finished fourth in the 800m in 1:50.43 ahead of Dominica's Dennick Luke, who was fifth in 1:50.79.
The Cubans then got in on the act in the discus where Mario Torres finished second with a throw of 60.77m and Anyel Sampre taking the bronze medal with 57.03m.
Another Caribbean competitor, Jorge Nazario of Puerto Rico, was sixth in 50.72.
Mexico’s Luis Peralta was sixth in the Men’s Pole Vault with 4.80 metres.
Cuba then got their first gold medal of the day with Andy Salazar jumping 16.77 metres to win the triple jump.
Taeco O’Garro of Antigua finished sixth with 15.60 metres.
There were only two individual female events on the day.
Arian Hernandez of Mexico finished fourth in the 3000m Steeplechase in 10:57.62.
Yaritza Valera then won Cuba’s second gold medal on the day with a 67.47 metres effort to win the Women’s Hammer Throw.
Her teammate Liz Llorente was fourth with 64.34 metres.
In the final athletics event of the Games, the Dominican Republic secured a bronze medal in the Mixed 4x400m Relay in 3:28.28 while Mexico finished fourth in 3:29.52.
Goule ran a solid 1:59.05 for an easy win in the 800m. Taking control of the race with just over 400m to go, the Jamaican sped away from the field leaving Anita Horvat in her wake.
The Slovenian clocked 2:00.76 for second place with Anna Wielgotz of Poland finishing third in 2:01.24.
In what must have been the surprise of the meet, Jackson, whose 10.71 makes her the second fastest woman in the world this year, was fifth in the 100m in 11.19.
Marie Josee Ta Lou, meanwhile, won impressively in 10.86 ahead of Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.00) and Egypt’s Hassant Hemida (11.07), who were second and third, respectively.
Murielle Ahoure-Demps was fourth in 11.18.
Ackeem Blake ran 10.09 for fourth place in a closely contested 100m dash that was won by American Brandon Carnes in 10.04.
Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya was second in 10.05, the same time given to the USA’s Kendal Williams who was third.
Andrennette Knight ran 52.23 to finish third in the 400m that was won by Lada Vondrova of the Czech Republic in 51.60. Laviai Nelson of the United Kingdom was second in 51.72.
Even though world-record holder Wayde van Niekerk was down for the 400m, James on the basis of his consistent performances this season must have been favoured to win the one-lap sprint.
But no one told the South African who edged the Grenadian to win in a meet record 44.33 to James 44.38. Zakhiti Nene of Africa ran 45.75 for third.
Earlier, Damion Thomas ran 13.38 for second place in the 110m hurdles race which American Jamal Britt claimed victory in 13.18.
Brazil’s Rafael Pereira was a close third in 13.41.
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn rebounded from the disappointment of finishing fourth at the Diamond League final in Zurich last week Thursday with a comfortable victory in the 100m hurdles.
The Puerto Rican clocked 12.72 beating American Nia Ali, who ran 12.80 for second place.
Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska finished third in 12.95.
The former St Jago man broke Seymour Newman’s 45-year-old national record of 1:45.21 with a 1:45.02 effort to finish second behind Texas Tech’s Moad Zahavi who ran 1:44.49 for victory. Texas A&M’s Brandon Miller finished just behind Anderson in third with 1:45.09.
Anderson also achieved the World Championship qualifying standard of 1:45.20 with his performance.
In an interview with Sportsmax.TV after achieving a then-personal best 1:45.89 last month, Anderson spoke about putting Jamaican 800m running on the map and, one day, breaking Newman’s national record which was set in 1977 in Helsinki.
“My job here is just now getting started,” he said.
“My goal is not only to be the best 800m runner from Jamaica but also to bring the awareness and the spotlight to the younger generation letting them know that we can be dominant in the 800m as well,” Anderson added.
The former Essex Community College man can now say he's achieved one of those goals.
