The former Vere Technical star, who also has 400m bronze medals from the 2016 Olympics, 2015, and 2019 World Championships, finished ahead of double Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson-Herah who ran a season’s best of her own with 22.25. 2019 World 200m Champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain also ran a season’s best of 22.27 to finish third.
Puerto Rican Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn maintained the stellar form she's shown so far this season by running a meet record and new world-leading 12.37 to win the Women’s 100m hurdles. Jamaican Britany Anderson was right there with Camacho-Quinn up until clipping the final hurdle and stumbling over the line to run 12.50 for second while American 2019 World Champion Nia Ali was third in 12.71.
Grenadian 2011 World and 2012 Olympic 400m Champion Kirani James was also in winning form, running 44.54 to prevail in the Men’s 400m ahead of the USA’s Vernon Norwood (44.81) and Michael Cherry (45.24).
Olympic and World Championship finalist Janieve Russell ran 54.18 for second in the Women’s 400m hurdles behind Dutch Olympic bronze medallist Femke Bol’s season’s best 53.02. Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova was third in 54.50.
Jackson, who won silver in the 100m in a personal best 10.73 on Sunday, looked magnificent in semi-final 1, cruising to 21.67 to win and advance to the final.
100m bronze medallist and double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah finished third in semi-final 2 in a season’s best 21.97 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. The USA’s Tamara Clark ran 21.95 to win while defending world champion Dina Asher-Smith ran a season’s best 21.96 for second.
Newly-crowned 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was also impressive in semi-final 3, running a season’s best 21.82 to win ahead of US champion Abby Steiner (22.15).
Dominican Republic Mixed Relay gold-medallist Alexander Ogando continued his brilliant world championships so far with a personal best and national record 19.91 to win semi-final 1 of the men’s 200m.
Trinidadian 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago finished third in semi-final 2 in a brilliant 19.86 to advance to the final as a fastest loser. American defending champion Noah Lyles ran a brilliant 19.62 to win the race while Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek, also of the USA, ran a season’s best 19.84 for second.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, Jamaican champion Janieve Russell ran 54.42 to win heat 2 and advance to the semi-finals.
Panama’s Gianna Woodruff ran 55.21 to finish third in semi-final 3 and progress. Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon produced 54.01 in heat 4 to finish second and advance while her teammate, 2019 World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton finished fourth in heat 5 in 54.99 to advance.
Jaheel Hyde ran a new personal best 48.03 for sixth in the men’s 400m hurdles final. Brazilian world leader Alison Dos Santos dominated to win gold in a championship record 46.29 while Americans Rai Benjamin (46.89) and Trevor Bassitt (47.39) were second and third.
The team of Asafa Powell, Oshane Bailey, Yohan Blake and Julian Forte clocked 38.33 that is only bettered by China’s 38.29 established on March 20, this year.
Jamaica was in a race against time to achieve a qualifying time for the Olympic Games after it withdrew from the recently concluded World Relays in Poland where the top eight teams automatically qualified for the Olympic Games.
However, after Saturday’s performance, qualifying could become a formality.
In the race at GC Foster, a Jamaica Green team of Ackeem Blake, Romario Williams, Nigel Ellis and Kadrian Goldson was second in 39.55.
A St Vincent team of McKish Compton, Javon Rollins, OJ Jackson and Akani Slater were third in 40.13.
Meanwhile, Blake followed up his 9.98/10.02 runs a week ago with a 10.05 wind-legal run to win the 100m time trial. Bailey was second overall in 10.13 while Williams was third fastest with 10.16.
World Champion and Olympic bronze medalist ran a fast 22.62 to win the 200m ahead of Stephenie-Ann McPherson, who in continuing her quest to develop her speed, was timed in 22.98. Shashelee Forbes was third in 23.03.
The men’s event was won by Anthony Carpenter of Legacy Athletics. The former Calabar High quarter-miler ran a decent 20.88 with a 2.2m/s trailing wind. Breakout sprint hurdler Rasheed Broadbell was second best with his time of 20.95 while Michael Sharpe of GC Foster crossed in 20.98 to be third overall.
Janieve Russell clocked 55.45 to win the 400m hurdles ahead of Rhonda Whyte (56.29).
In eight global finals, since she won her first Olympic title in Beijing in 2008, the Pocket Rocket has won six. She demonstrated that mettle once again on Friday night when she won her fourth national 100m title against a strong field on day two of the Jamaica National Championships in Kingston.
The two-time Olympic champion stormed to victory in 10.71, the second-fastest time run by anyone this year, only bettered by her world-leading 10.63 run at the same venue on June 5.
Using her explosive start to her advantage, she got away from the field that was unable to close as she flashed across the finish line.
Second was Shericka Jackson, who surprised everyone when she clocked a big lifetime best of 10.77 to win her semi-final just over an hour before. She ran an equally impressive 10.82 holding off the 2016 double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, who was third in 10.84.
Briana Williams, who at 19, was the youngest in the field, finished fourth in 11.01, which earned her a place at her first Olympic Games.
There was also another surprise in the men’s 100m as Tyquendo Tracey ran 10.00 flat to edge Yohan Blake 10.01 and an ecstatic Oblique Seville, who ran a personal best 10.04 for third and booked a spot to his very first Olympic Games.
There were two runaway winners in the 400m hurdles but the more impressive of the two was Jaheel Hyde who clocked a lifetime best 48.18 to win and also exceed the Olympic standard of 48.90, which means he is also going to Tokyo this summer.
He punched the air as he crossed the line and saw the flash time on the electronic clock on the infield.
Second went to Sean Rowe who stopped the clock at 49.60, just ahead of Kemar Mowatt, who was third in 49.61.
Janieve Russell ran away with the women’s race to win in a season-best 54.07.
Ronda Whyte was second in 54.94 while Leah Nugent was third in 54.98 in a close finish that saw Shian Salmon finish fourth in 55.00.
The team of Junelle Bromfield, Janieve Russell, Roneisha McGregor and Stephenie-Ann McPherson ran a brilliant race to clock a season-best 3:28.40 pulling away from the Netherlands, who were second in 3:28.57. Poland was a close third, finishing in 3:28.59 in the exciting final track event of the championships.
The win means McPherson finished the championships with two of Jamaica's three medals, 4x400m gold and the bronze medal she won in the 400m on Saturday.
Kimberly Williams won the other medal, a bronze in the Women's Triple Jump on Sunday morning.
Belgium won the men's event in 3:06.52 over Spain (3:06.82) and The Netherlands (3:06.90).
It was a bittersweet day for Jamaica as Natoya Goule, the second-fastest woman in the world over 800m this year, disappointed in the 800m final where she finished fourth.
The race was won by Ajee Wilson in 1:59.09. The silver medal went to Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu (2:00.54) and Uganda's Halymah Nakaayi (2:00.66).
Grant Holloway found redemption for last year's Olympic disappointment when he crowned himself world champion in the 60m hurdles, clocking 7.39. Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde took the silver medal in 7.50 while the USA's Jarret Eaton took the bronze in 7.53.
The championships ended with a world record in the men's pole vault as Mondo Duplantis cleared 6.20m to break his own record set two weeks ago.
Like she has done all season, Clayton went out hard and relaxed somewhat mid-race, before powering home to win semi-final one in a flat 53.00s. She took American Jasmine Jones (53.83s) into the final with her.
American World Record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone cruised to victory in semi-final two in 52.13s, ahead of Frenchwoman Louise Maraval (53.83s), while Jamaica’s Janieve Russell (54.65s) battled hard for fourth but missed a spot in the final.
Meanwhile, Salmon ran a well-paced race for third in semi-final three. She stopped the clock in a personal best of 53.13s, which was good for one of the two non-automatic qualifying spots.
The race was won by gold medal favorite Femke Bol of the Netherlands in an easy 52.57s. American Anna Cockrell (52.90s) was second, while Canada’s Savannah Sutherland (53.80s) also progressed as a non-automatic qualifier.
The final is scheduled for Thursday, August 8.
Salmon emerged as the fastest Jamaican qualifier, running a solid 53.95 seconds to finish second in her heat. The heat was won by gold medal contender Femke Bol, who clocked an impressive 53.38 seconds.
Clayton also made a strong impression, comfortably winning the opening heat with a time of 54.32 seconds. Clayton’s smooth and confident run positions her well for a possible place on the podium come Tuesday assuming she advances from the semi-finals.
Russell faced a bit more competition but still managed to qualify with ease. She finished third in her heat with a time of 54.67 seconds. The heat was won by the USA’s Anna Cockrell, who crossed the finish line in 53.91 seconds.
In addition to the Jamaicans, the competition will be fierce with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the defending champion and world record holder, who cruised to victory in the final heat with a time of 53.60 seconds. McLaughlin-Levrone remains the strong favourite for the gold medal.
Clayton's solid run of 53.97 earned her the top spot in the opening heat, surpassing former world-record holder Dahlilah Mohammed, who clocked in at 54.21. The German athlete Carolina Kraftik claimed third place with a time of 54.53, followed closely by Viivi Lehikoinen of Finland, who secured the fourth automatic qualifying spot with a time of 54.65.
Russell continued the Jamaican surge, executing a controlled performance that resulted in her winning the second heat in 54.53. She outpaced Anna Cockrell of the USA, who finished in 54.68. Gianna Woodruff of Panama secured the third position with a time of 55.31, while Canada's Savannah Sutherland secured the final automatic spot in the semifinals with a time of 55.85.
Andrenette Knight maintained the Jamaican success, finishing second in her heat behind Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain, who claimed first place with a time of 53.56. Knight's impressive run of 54.21 ensured her progression to the semifinals. Italy's Ayomide Folorunso secured the third qualifying spot with a time of 54.30, while Cathelijn Peeters of the Netherlands clinched the final automatic spot with a time of 54.95.
Meanwhile, the gold medal favorite Femke Bol of the Netherlands showed why she is the fastest woman in the world this year. Determined to make a statement after failing to lead her team to a medal in the Mixed Relays on Saturday, Bol clocked an impressive time of 53.39 in her heat, leaving her competitors trailing in her wake. Vicktoriya Tkachuck of Ukraine secured second place with a time of 55.05, while Hanne Claes of Belgium took third with a time of 55.1. Line Kloster of Norway clinched the final qualifying spot in the heat with a time of 55.23.
Great Britain's Jessie Knight won the final heat, finishing with a time of 54.27 and securing first place. She triumphed over Shamier Little of the USA, who took second place with a time of 54.40. Anna Ryzhykova of Ukraine secured third place with a time of 54.70, while Nikoleta Jichova of the Czech Republic secured the fourth qualifying spot with a time of 55.10.
Russell, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist, produced a season’s best 53.75 to hold off the fast finishing Andrenette Knight (53.78) and Rushell Clayton (53.81) who finished second and third.
For Knight, this serves as redemption. Last year, she missed out on a national title after falling with 100m to go in the final after leading the whole race.
On the men’s side, Roshawn Clarke produced one of the performances of the Championships to win his maiden national senior crown.
Clarke, still only 19, brought the National Stadium crowd into a frenzy with a brilliant, world junior record-equaling 47.85. Clarke’s time also puts him second on Jamaica’s all-time list for the event behind Winthrop Graham’s 47.60 done in 1993.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist and three-time national champion, Jaheel Hyde, was second in a season’s best 48.45 while Assinie Wilson ran a massive personal best 48.50 for third.
In the men's 110m hurdles, Jamaica's Rasheed Broadbell, the Olympic bronze medalist, and his compatriot Orlando Bennett will face off against the formidable American Olympic champion Grant Holloway. Holloway, a two-time world champion, is known for his explosive speed and technical prowess, but the rising French sensation Sasha Zhoya, who has been making waves on the European circuit, is also in the mix. This highly anticipated race is set to be a highlight of the meet, with Broadbell and Bennett looking to upset the reigning champion.
On the women's side, the 100m hurdles will see a clash of titans as Jamaica's Ackera Nugent, the second-fastest woman in the world this year, takes on a formidable field. Nugent, an Olympic finalist and Jamaican champion, will go up against 2019 World champion Nia Ali, former world record holder Kendra Harrison, and Olympic champion Masai Russell. The stacked lineup guarantees a fierce competition, with Nugent aiming to cement her place among the best.
In the blue-riband 100m dash, Jamaica's sprinting sensation Kishane Thompson, who holds the fastest time in the world this year at 9.77 seconds, will lead a trio of Jamaican sprinters. Thompson will be joined by Rohan Watson and Ackeem Blake as they take on an all-star cast, including Olympic champion Marcell Lamont Jacobs, American Fred Kerley, and African champion Ferdinand Omanyala. Christian Coleman, the former world champion, is also in the lineup, making this race one of the most anticipated events of the day.
The women's 100m promises to be equally electrifying, with Jamaica's two-time world champion Danielle Williams set to battle for a spot in the final against American Olympic finalist Grace Stark and French Olympic silver medalist Cyrena Samba-Mayela. With the level of talent on display, this race is poised to be a showstopper.
In the field events, Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell, the Olympic bronze medalist in the shot put, will face the ultimate test as he goes up against Olympic champion and world record holder Ryan Crouser. The shot put competition is expected to be intense, with Campbell aiming to challenge the seemingly unbeatable Crouser.
The 400m hurdles will feature Jamaica's Roshawn Clarke and Jaheel Hyde, both Olympic finalists, taking on a strong field that includes Norway's Karsten Warholm, the Olympic silver medalist, and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi. The women's 400m hurdles will see a quartet of Jamaican stars—Rushell Clayton, Shian Salmon, Andrennette Knight, and Janieve Russell—competing against American Olympic silver medalist Anna Cockrell and former world record holder Dalilah Mohammed.
In the triple jump, Jamaica's Olympic silver medalist Shanieka Ricketts and compatriot Ackelia Smith will face a tough challenge from Cuba’s Laidagmis Povea and American Olympic bronze medalist Jasmine Moore.
Barbadian star Sada Williams will represent her country in the 400m, where she will take on an exceptional field that includes Olympic gold medalist Marileidy Paulino, silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser, and USA’s rising star Alexis Holmes. The presence of Irish sensation Rhasidat Adeleke adds further intrigue to this already competitive race.
The meet will close with the women’s 100m dash, featuring Jamaica's Olympic finalists Tia Clayton and Natasha Morrison. They will face off against Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, Ivory Coast’s Marie Jose Ta Lou, and the USA’s Tamari Davis. With so much talent on display, this race promises to be a fitting finale to a day of high-octane athletics.
On Saturday in Glasgow, McPherson had a stumble and coincidence would have it that she clipped her Jamaican teammate, Russell, leaving neither with a chance of earning a podium finish in the 400 metres at the Grand Prix.
McPherson did not finish the race, while Russell would end fifth in a pedantic time of 60.87 seconds. There were six entrants.
The race was won by Great Britain’s Jessie Knight, who clocked 51.57 seconds. She finished ahead of Poland’s Justyna Święty-Ersetic, who hit the tape in a time of 51.68.
The Netherlands’ Lisanne de Witte was well back in third, clocking 53.25 seconds, while Polish runner, Iga Baumgart-Witan was fourth in 53.97 seconds.
The field will include a number of the world’s top hurdlers including global medallists including the likes of Rushell Clayton, Shamier Little and Dalilah Muhammad.
Muhammad won Olympic gold back in Rio eight years ago and took silver in Tokyo five years later. Her time in the Tokyo final, 51.58, remains a personal best and makes her the third-fastest woman ever.
At the World Championships, the 34-year-old won gold in 2019 in a then-world record 52.16. She was also among the medals in Moscow in 2013, London in 2017 and Eugene in 2022.
Clayton took bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Doha and had a similar result last year in Budapest with a personal best 52.81.
Little is a two-time World Championship silver medallist. The first came back at the 2015 edition in Beijing and the second came in Budapest last year.
Her personal best 52.39 was done back in 2021 and puts her fifth all-time.
Saturday’s field is completed by two-time Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell, Pan Am Games champion Gianna Woodruff, World Championship finalists Andrenette Knight and Anna Cockrell and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Shiann Salmon.
Aided by a wind of 2.5m/s, Anderson, in her first world championships final, ran a fast 12.23 to finish in second place behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who clocked a ridiculously fast 12.06 to win the gold medal.
Amusan, who is coached by Jamaican Olympian Lacena Golding-Clarke, shattered the USA’s Kendra Harrison’s world record of 12.20 in the semi-final when she clocked a stunning 12.12s.
Harrison was second in the heat with a season-best 12.27 but the American was unable to handle the pace in the final and was subsequently disqualified after hitting a number of hurdles.
Anderson, meanwhile, broke Danielle Williams’ national record of 12.32 set in 2019, when she won her semi-final heat in 12.31 while holding off the Olympic champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who clocked 12.32.
Both women shared the time of 12.23 in the finals but Anderson was 0.005 seconds faster and hence awarded the runner-up spot.
Alia Armstrong of the USA was fourth in 12.38 while Cindy Sember who ran a new British record of 12.50 in the semis, clocked 12.41 for fifth.
Danielle Williams ran 12.44 for sixth with Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas running 12.53 for seventh.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s men picked up their first medal of the championships when they finished second in the 4x400m relay. The USA won the gold medal in a world-leading 2:56.17 but the Jamaican quartet of Ackeem Bloomfield, Nathon Allen, Jevaughn Powell and Christopher Taylor – spared blushes for their male counterparts with a season-best 2:58.58.
Allen ran the fastest split on the second leg, 43.95 while Taylor completed the anchor leg in an impressive 43.98.
Belgium finished third in 2:58.72.
Jamaica’s women closed the championships with the third silver-medalist on the final day when they finished runner-up to gold medal favourites, the USA which ran a world-leading time of 3:17.79.
The Jamaican quartet of Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Charokee Young, clocked a season-best 3:20.74.
Great Britain was third in 3:22.64.
Jamaica won 10 medals at the championships - two gold, seven silver and a bronze medal.
Jamaican hurdler Ackera Nugent bounced back from the disappointment of not finishing in the final of the 100m hurdles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, capturing victory in the event with a meet record time of 12.29 seconds. Nugent, who came close to matching her personal best and national record of 12.28, showcased her return to top form, having already signaled her intent in the preliminary heats with an impressive 12.30. The USA’s Grace Stark finished second in 12.37, narrowly edging out another Jamaican, Danielle Williams, who clocked 12.38 for third place. Olympic champion Masai Russell of the USA was fourth in 12.40.
Tia Clayton added to Jamaica’s success with a wind-aided 10.83 to win the 100m in a thrilling blanket finish. She finished just ahead of Ivory Coast’s Marie Jose Ta Lou-Smith, who was credited with the same time, while the USA’s Tamari Davis was a close third in 10.84.
Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic continued her winning ways, dominating the 400m with a meet record time of 48.66 seconds. Paulino’s masterclass performance saw her comfortably ahead of Olympic silver medalist Salwa Eid Naser, who finished second in 49.23. Poland’s Natalia Kaczmarek claimed third in 49.95. Barbados' Sada Williams, who has had a strong season, finished eighth in 50.82.
Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts claimed victory in the triple jump, leaping out to 14.50m. Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez was second with 14.42m, while Italy’s Dariya Derkach took third with 14.02m. Ricketts' win added to the Caribbean’s tally on a day that saw multiple triumphs for the region.
Romaine Beckford of Jamaica set a lifetime best in the high jump with a clearance of 2.29m, securing second place behind Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi, who won the event with a jump of 2.31m.
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Jamaican Rasheed Broadbell narrowly missed out on victory, finishing second to American Olympic champion Grant Holloway. Holloway clocked 13.04 to Broadbell’s season-best 13.05. Broadbell, however, expressed concern after the race, revealing he might have suffered a groin injury during the event. “I got close but I started to feel my groin,” Broadbell said. “No, it’s not good.” The USA’s Daniel Roberts was third in 13.24, with Jamaica’s Orlando Bennett finishing fifth in 13.35.
Jamaica’s Shian Salmon, Janieve Russell, and Andrennette Knight delivered strong performances in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively. The event was won by Dutch star Femke Bol, who set a meet record of 52.13.
In the men’s 100m, Olympic bronze medalist Fred Kerley of the USA won in a meet record 9.87, just ahead of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala (9.88) and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, who equaled his lifetime best of 9.89 for third place.
Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson was a notable absentee in the 200m, where Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana set a meet record of 19.82. Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic finished second in a national record and personal best of 19.86.
In a meet filled with exceptional performances, Norway’s Jakob Ingerbrigsten set the only world record of the day, running an astonishing 7:17.55 to win the 3000m.
Mondo Duplantis continued his world-record streak by establishing yet another mark in the pole vault. The remarkable Swede cleared 6.26m to win an other competitive event.
The Silesia Diamond League meeting was a memorable event for Caribbean athletes, who not only claimed victories but also set records, proving once again the region’s strength and talent on the global athletics stage.
Chief among them are the likes of Olympic medalists Hansle Parchment, Shericka Jackson and Stephenie-Ann McPherson.
Parchment, who is set to compete at the 2022 Drake Relays next week, will shake off some rust in the 110m hurdles where he will line up against rising star Rasheed Broadbell, Tyler Mason and Michael O’Hara, who is returning from an injury that ended derailed him last season.
Jackson, who has run a couple of 400m races this season, steps down to the half-lap sprint where she will match times with McPherson, who will also step down to the 200m for this meet along with fellow quarter-miler Tiffany James.
Also down for the 200m is the speedy Natasha Morrison, Anthonique Strachan and Sasha Lee Forbes.
2014 NCAA 100m champion Remona Burchell is in the line-up for the 100m along with long jumper Tissana Hickling, Kashieka Cameron as well as 2008 Olympic 400m hurdles gold medallist Melaine Walker.
The men’s 100m will feature Julian Forte, Tajay Gayle as well as Waseem Williams, Yohan Blake, Chadic Hinds and Antonio Watson.
The Women’s 400m event promises to be compelling as it should have Janieve Russell, Candice McLeod, Anastassia Le-Roy, James, Junelle Bromfield and the veteran Christine Day among the participants.
In what was a season-ending competition for several of the Caribbean athletes competing at the meet, Clayton ran a meet record 53.89 to win the 400m hurdles in a comfortable fashion over Viktoriya Tkachuk, who ran 54.97.
An obviously leg-weary Janieve Russell, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion, was third in 55.04.
Clayton wasn’t even aware that she had broken the 54.14 meet record set by Diami Pernia set 22 years ago.
“I actually did not know what the meeting record was,” said Clayton, who just missed out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.
“I just wanted to run my last race and to get a good race and I did just that.
“The weather did not affect me, really, because I was in a zone and I just wanted to come out here and compete, it is my last one.”
Cofil, who broke 50 seconds in her last two races, didn’t need to in order to claim victory in the 400m.
The Dominican Republic runner clocked 50.73 to finish almost a full second ahead of Jamaica’s Candice McLeod, who ran 51.53 for second place.
Sada Williams, the Commonwealth Games champion, was third in 51.70 while Stephenie-Ann McPherson was fourth in 51.91.
Meanwhile, there was also a Caribbean 2-3 in the 100m hurdles won by Tonea Marshall of the USA who clocked 12.74 to defeat Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas (12.86) and Jamaica’s Megan Tapper (13.03).
Tajay Gayle jumped 7.99m to finish fourth in the long jump.
Trailing Andrenette Knight, who is the fastest Jamaican woman in the world this year, with less than 100m to go, the 28-year-old Russell seized on the moment after Knight hit the ninth hurdle and fell. Russell stormed through to pass Shian Salmon and win in her fourth national title in a season-best 53.63. She said afterwards it was good to be back on top once more.
“It is really refreshing and it shows that you should never give up,” she said.
“Of course, I had some doubts coming into the season. I am saying to myself since 2015 I haven’t made a world championships team in an individual event I was a bit worried but I put in the work. I am confident and I am a lot stronger than last year and faster.
“I just went out there and execute and the execution wasn’t as perfect as my coach wanted it to but I was glad I was in the top three.”
The 2018 Commonwealth Games 400m hurdles champion said winning has boosted her confidence, especially in light of the fact that her injury issues are seemingly behind her.
“It has given me a lot of confidence,” she said of the victory.
“This is the first season I can remember that I haven’t had any major injuries. I did start the season with some little niggles but nothing that kept me out of training so I feel really good; words can’t explain but for the World Championships I am just going out there to represent.”
There is still work to be done if she is to improve over the next three weeks before the championships begin in Oregon on July 15.
“I believe I am really ready. When I go back to training we will look back at the video to see where I went wrong and see what I need to strengthen and what I need to change. I know there is a lot to change,” she said.
The race was won by the imperious Dutch athlete Femke Bol in a new meet record of 52.65.
The third Jamaican in the race, Rushell Clayton, fell late and did not finish.
Bol, who won the rare 400m hurdles/400m double at the recent European championships in Germany proved too strong for the field pulling away over the last 120m for a comfortable victory. Russell, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion, clocked 53.92 for second place.
Knight, who missed out on the 2022 World Championships in Oregon after she fell at the Jamaica national championships in June, finished third in 54.33.
Speaking afterwards, Russell said she was disappointed with the time.
“The race was okay but, honestly, I wanted to go faster. I felt that with such fast competitors in the field I could have put together a better race,” she said.
“I shuffled between a few hurdles and did not execute my technique correctly at times. Nevertheless, I am grateful for the result because it’s been a long season and I have run a lot. I love running and it’s part of the job that I do (to also do some 4x400ms for Jamaica), so even though my body is tired I´m happy to be racing. I look forward to coming back to Switzerland for the finals in Zurich.”
Meanwhile, Knight, who had not raced since she ran 53.85 at Marietta, Georgia on July 2, was happy with her run from lane one.
“Very pleased with my race,” she said, “I felt I executed my plans well this evening, especially since I had not competed in the last two months. I hope to continue improving and doing a PB this year. It will be great if I can make it to the Diamond League final.”
Russell, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August, has a season’s best of 53.63 done at the Jamaican National Championships in June. She has three second-placed finishes on the Diamond League circuit this season in Rome, Monaco and Lausanne.
Clayton ran a personal best 53.33 to win at the Monaco Diamond League event and also finished second in Stockholm. Panama’s Woodruff finished third in Monaco and fifth in Lausanne.
2019 World Champion and former world record holder Dalilah Muhammad and two-time World Championship silver medallist and European 400m and 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol will also be present while the field is completed by Italy’s Ayomide Folorunso, Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhkova and Viktoriya Tkachuk.
Bol started calmly before using her unreal strength to pull away from the rest of the field in the last 100m to come home in a meet record 52.11.
Russell, a two-time Commonwealth Champion and a finalist at the recently concluded World Championships in Budapest, was second in 53.80 while Clayton, who took bronze at those World Championships, was third in 54.10.
Andrenette Knight, who was also a finalist in Budapest, led the field after the first half of the race but faded into sixth in 54.75.
