Parchment, Clayton steal Xiamen show

RUSHELL CLAYTON and Hansle Parchment stole the show at the Xiamen Diamond League in China yesterday.

The two led a good day for Jamaicans at the Diamond League meet, with Andrenette Knight, Candice McLeod, Janieve Russell, and Kishane Thompson also getting onto the podium.

Parchment, the World Championships silver medallist, recovered from a slow start to peg back World Champion Grant Halloway of the United States and teammate Daniel Roberts. Roberts ended in 13.03 seconds ahead of Halloway, who had to settle for third in 13.12.

Parchment became the fourth athlete this season to dip below the 13-second barrier, joining Halloway and the United States’ Cordel Tinch at number two on the list of best times in the year.

Earlier, the in-form Clayton clocked a creditable 53.56 seconds to get the better of countrywomen, Andrenette Knight and Janieve Russell.

Knight ended second in 53.87 seconds while Russell was third in 54.07 seconds.

McLeod, who made the World Athletics Championships 400 metres final in Budapest, Hungary, and ran the opening leg of Jamaica’s 4x400 metres women’s team which won silver, had a season’s-best-equalling 50.19 seconds for third in Xiamen.

World Champion Marilaidy Paulino, of the Dominican Republic, won the 400 metres event in a meet record 49.36 seconds, while the United States’ Lynn Irby Jackson was third in 50.46.

Thompson became the country’s fastest man over the 100 metres this season, clocking a personal best 9.85 seconds to finish second behind the United States’ Christian Coleman, who pipped him at the line in 9.83.

Coleman, who was fifth at the World Athletics Championships, equalled the world leading time, which was already shared between countryman Noah Lyles and Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes.

Yohan Blake ended sixth in 10.04 seconds, Rohan Watson, ninth in 10.18 seconds, while Ackeem Blake fell from the starting blocks and walked through to the finish line.

Rusheen McDonald dipped under 45 seconds for the fourth time this season, finishing third in the men’s 400 metres in 44.82 seconds as countryman Zandrion Barnes had to settle for eighth in 45.29.

Grenada’s Kirani James bounced back from his disqualification from the World Athletics final and won the event in a season’s best and meet record 44.38 seconds. The United States’ Quincy Hall fought James to the line, finishing second in the same time.