Goule takes third in Lausanne
Published:Saturday | July 1, 2023 | 1:26 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter
In her final race before the National Championships, eight-time national 800 metres champion Natoya Goule ensured a strong performance at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland, yesterday.
Goule, the lone Jamaican at the meet, clocked 1:58.90 to finish third in the 800m, her second-fastest time so far this season in her third race over the distance in 2023. Commonwealth Games champion Mary Moraa of Kenya won the event in a season’s best effort of 1:57.43 while world championship silver medallist, Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, was second in 1:58.37. It is back-to-back third-place finishes for Goule this season whose season’s best was at the Diamond League meet in Paris on June 9 when she clocked 1:58.23. Moraa’s victory preserved her unbeaten run so far this season getting the better of Hodgkinson who is the fastest woman in the world this year.
Goule will head into Thursday’s National Senior Championships as the fastest Jamaican at the distance this year and is the fourth fastest in the world.
In other results, Shunsike Izumiya of Japan won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.22 with Switzerland’s Jason Joseph in second with 13.23 and Just Kwaou-Mathey of France finishing third in 13.37.
In the women’s 100m, Cote d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, the fastest woman in the world this year, put on another strong performance, winning in 10.88 seconds. Great Britain’s Daryll Neita was second in 11.07 and Gina Luckenkemper of Germany was third in 11.17.
Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico edged reigning world champion and record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria in the women’s 100m hurdles. Camacho-Quinn clocked 12.40 for victory ahead of Amusan who was second in 12.47 equalling her season’s best.
In the men’s 200m, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo won in 20.01 ahead of Trinidad’s Jereem Richards who was second in 20.11. Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh was third in 20.21. In the women’s 400m hurdles, world championship silver medallist Femke Bol of the Netherlands continued her strong start to the season winning in a meet-record 52.76 seconds. Finland’s Vivi Lehikoinen was second in 54.67 while Italy’s Ayomide Folorunson was third in 55.12.