Unstoppable Thompson Herah takes 100m Diamond

It might be the end of the season but Elaine Thompson Herah was still going full tilt in the women’s 100m at the Diamond League finals in Zurich, as she continued her dominant ways, stopping the clock at 10.65 seconds to take the win and the Diamond League title in the event.

In 17 races in the 100m this season, Thompson Herah has only lost twice. Her winning time in Zurich also made her the first woman in history to go below 10.70 seconds on four occasions, with all of her sub-10.70 seconds times coming this season.

Second place went to Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, 10.87 with Switzerland’s Ajla Del Ponte, 10.93 taking third. Natasha Morrison, 11.10, was seventh.

Defending world champions and Diamond League winners are provisionally handed a wild card for the next World Championships. However, each country is only allowed one bye per event and with Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce being the defending world champion in the 100m following her triumph in Doha in 2019, it is likely that Fraser-Pryce will be given Jamaica’s bye for the Eugene 2022 World Championships.

Thompson Herah did, however, help herself to a US$30,000 ($4.5 million) and the Diamond Trophy.

Shericka Jackson registered her best ever time in the 200m, clocking 21.81 seconds for second place behind Namibia’s Olympic silver medal winner Christine Mboma, who as she has been doing since switching to the 200m, came on strongly towards the end to take the win in 21.78 - a World Under-20 record as well as an African record. Asher-Smith was third in 22.19.

Natoya Goule finished third in the 800m with a time 1:58.34, the same time as second place Kate Grace from the United States, with Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, 1:57.98 taking the win.

In the men’s 110m hurdles, American Devon Allen, 13.06 took a close win over Olympic bronze medalist Ronald Levy, who ran the same time, and like Allen ran his best time for the season, with Olympic Champion Hansle Parchment, 13.17 taking third place.

Megan Tapper was quick out of the blocks as always in the women’s 100m hurdles, but could not hold off the powerful Nigerian Tobi Amusan, who clocked a personal best and African record 12.42 seconds to take the win ahead of Dutchwoman Nadine Visser, 12.51, who also clocked a personal best and national record.

Tapper, the Olympic bronze medal winner, in the end crossed the line in third place in a time of 12.55 seconds to continue her consistent top three finishes on the circuit.

Shanieka Ricketts, 14.64m and Kimberly Williams 14.47m finished second and third respectively in the women’s triple jump, which was won by World and Olympic champion Yulimar Rojas, 15.48m.

Federick Dacres, 65.33m was third in the men’s discus behind Olympic champion Daniel Stahl, 66.49m, who was winning his 14th straight competition, with Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh, 65.39m, taking second place.

In the women’s 400m, Stephenie-Ann McPherson, 50.25m had to settle for fourth place, one in front of Candice McLeod, 50.96, with American Quanera Hayes, 49.88, taking the win ahead of Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, 49.96, the Olympic silver medal winner, with Barbados’ Sada Williams, 50.24, ending up in third.

Janieve Russell struggled in the women’s 400m hurdles event, finishing seventh in 55.74, as Femke Bol, 52.80, from the Netherlands, ran away with the win ahead of American Shamier Little, 53.35 and Ukraine’s Anna Ryzhykova, 53.70.