Redemption for Jackson

WORLD ATHLETICS Championships 100 metres silver medallist, Shericka Jackson, earned some redemption for herself at the Prefontaine Classics in Eugene, Oregon yesterday.

Jackson had found herself second best in the event, which doubles as the Wanda Diamond League final, last year, but returned triumphantly, clocking 10.70 seconds to best a field that included American Sha’Carri Richardson, who had beaten her three times this year, including at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Richardson herself had to settle for fourth, clocking 10.80 seconds to finish behind the Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou, 10.75, and double Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson Herah, a season’s best 10.79.

“I am feeling pretty good. I just wanted to come out here and execute and I think I did a pretty good job this evening,” said Jackson.

“I’m grateful. I am here enjoying myself and tomorrow is another competition day. I just started sprinting in 2021, and to be amongst these great sprinters is a good feeling,” she said.

Thompson Herah, who has had a very difficult season, was also pleased with her execution, despite failing to land the big title.

“I think I executed a good job to close off. To close off with this time, I am grateful. This was a tough year,” she said.

In the meantime, Shanieka Ricketts proved that jumping past 15 metres for the first time just recently was no fluke, doing so twice despite having to settle for second in the women’s triple jump.

Venezuela’s Julimar Rojas was the eventual winner, jumping to 15.35 metres on her final effort to take the title, the world lead, and the meet record.

Ricketts, in second, made it out to a personal best 15.03 metres, bettering the 15.01 she set a week ago. She had also jumped 15 metres on the nose in an earlier round.

The national triple jump champion’s countrywoman, Kimberly Williams, leapt out to 14.61, a season’s best, for third.

Back on the track, Rusheen McDonald had to settle for fifth in the men’s 400 metres, clocking 45.10 seconds, as Grenada’s Kirani James successfully defended his Diamond League title, winning the event in a season’s best, 44.30 seconds. The United States’ Quincy Hall, 44.44, and Vernon Norwood, 44.61, were second and third.

The men’s 100 metres event, like the women’s, was fast.

In fact, Kishane Thompson’s nippy 9.87 seconds, was only good enough for fourth, with fast-starting Christian Coleman, of the United States, winning in 9.83 seconds.

WORLD-LEADING MARK

Coleman was achieving the world-leading mark he shares with Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes and countryman Noah Lyles, for the second time.

Lyles was second in 9.85 while Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala was third with the same time.

Yohan Blake was sixth in 10.08 seconds while another countryman, Ackeem Blake, was disqualified for a false start.

Danniel Thomas-Dodd’s 19.07-metre shot put was only good enough for sixth, in an event won by the United States’ Chase Ealey with 20.61 metres. The put, a personal best for Ealey, was the longest in the world this year and erased the previous Prefontaine Classic record.

There was an interesting reversal in the men’s 400 metres hurdles,with the United States Rai Benjamin, grabbing hold of the Diamond League trophy ahead of world record holder and World champion, Karsten Warholm of Norway.

Benjamin clocked a meet record 46.39 seconds to just get the better of Warholm, 46.53, and the British Virgin Islands’ Kyron McMaster, 47.31.

Winifred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain won the 3000 metres steeplechase in a personal best eight minutes, 51.67 seconds. The time, the quickest in the world this year, was an area and meet record. Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya was second in a season’s best 8:51.67 minutes while countrywoman, Faith Cherotich, was third in a personal best, 8:59.65.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon continued her amazing season, posting a meet record 3:59.72 to win the women’s 1500 metres ahead of Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, 3:53.13.

Welteji’s personal best gave her the edge over Great Britain’s Laura Muir, 3:55.16.

Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen stole the show yesterday, his personal best 3:43.73 counting as an area, Diamond League, meet record, and world lead.