Thompson Herah, Parchment continue winning form in Puerto Rico
Published:Saturday | May 14, 2022 | 12:09 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
Olympic double sprint champion Elaine Thompson Herah and Olympic 110 metres hurdles champion Hansle Parchment continued their strong starts to the 2022 season with victories at the Puerto Rico Athletics Classic in Ponce, Puerto Rico, on Thursday.
Thompson Herah clocked 10.93 seconds to win the 100m with Michelle-Lee Ahye of Trinidad and Tobago finishing second in 11.06 and American Shania Collins placing third in 11.08. Jamaica’s Natalliah Whyte was fifth in 11.13.
Thompson Herah said she was glad to be able to continue her injury-free start to the season and enjoyed her first experience competing in Puerto Rico.
“It’s a pleasure to be here, first time in Puerto Rico. The course is amazing,” Thompson Herah said after the race. Thompson Herah’s lifetime best is 10.54 which she set last August in Portland, Oregon. She has the third-fastest time in the world this year with 10.89 while four-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce set the new world-leading time of 10.67 seconds last Saturday in Kenya.
Parchment beat American Devon Allen in the 110m hurdles, clocking a season’s best of 13.15 seconds for victory while Allen was second with 13.20. His compatriot Jamal Britt came third in 13.30. While Parchment said that he was pleased with the win, he was focused on the necessary corrections to his technique.
“So many things to fix. I’m sure coach is already getting his little book ready with all the things I need to work (on),” Parchment said. “Otherwise, I had fun. Good atmosphere. It was warm, so it was good.” Jamaica’s Damion Thomas finished seventh in 13.58.
In the men’s 100m, 2011 World champion Yohan Blake finished fourth in heat one of the 100m in 10.29 but did not start the final which was won by world championship bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell of the United States. Tyquendo Tracy finished sixth in the same heat in 10.35 and did not advance to the final.
Meanwhile, sprint hurdler Danielle Williams finished third in the women’s 100m hurdles clocking 12.67 seconds. American Alaysha Johnson won the event in 12.50 ahead of Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico, 12.52.
Janieve Russell, the 2018 Commonwealth Games champion, led a Jamaican sweep of the top three places in the women’s 400m hurdles final. Russell won the event in 54.09, the second-fastest time in the world this year. Shiann Salmon was second in 54.43 while World Championship bronze medallist Rushell Clayton placed third in 54.90.