Wed | May 15, 2024

Blake makes notable return to China

Published:Sunday | April 21, 2024 | 12:09 AMRaymond Graham - Gleaner Writer
From left: Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake follows home the United States pair of Cristian Coleman and Fred Kerley during the men’s 100 metres at the Xiamen Diamond League in China yesterday.
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From left: Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake follows home the United States pair of Cristian Coleman and Fred Kerley during the men’s 100 metres at the Xiamen Diamond League in China yesterday.

WORLD INDOOR 60-metre bronze medallist, Ackeem Blake, had the best finish of the nine Jamaicans competing at yesterday’s opening Diamond League meet in Xiamen, China, after finishing third in the men’s 100 metres.

Blake was third in the 100 metres, clocking 10.20 seconds and making up for his disappointment at the meet a year ago when he fell out of his blocks.

Rohan Watson was fourth in 10.27 with the other Jamaican in the event, Yohan Blake, finishing ninth in 10.43 seconds.

The event was won by the United States Christian Coleman, the World Indoor 60 metres champion, in 10.13. Coleman finished ahead of countryman, Fred Kerley, who clocked 10.17.

World champion in the women’s 100-metre hurdles, Danielle Williams, had a fourth-place finish in her pet event, clocking 12.65 seconds. Megan Tapper ended eighth in 12.88 in the race won by Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in 12.45. The Bahamas’ Devynne Charlton, the World Indoor 60-metre hurdles champion, was second in 12.49 seconds. France’s Cyréna Samba-Mayela was third in a national record, 12.55.

Olympic 110-metre hurdles champion Hansle Parchment failed to recover from a slow start and had to settle for sixth in the men’s sprint hurdles, crossing the line in 13.33 seconds. Parchment’s countryman Orlando Bennett was eighth in 13.58. Daniel Roberts of the United States won the event in 13.11.

The other Jamaicans competing at the meet, Christoffe Bryan, was seventh in the men’s high jump, clearing 2.20 metres, while Danniel Thomas-Dodd had an eighth-place finish in the women’s shot put with a heave of 18.76 metres.

World 100-metre champion, the United States’ Sha’Carri Richardson, in her first individual outdoor appearance, was surprised in the women’s 200 metres. The 100-metre world champion had to settle for second in 22.99 seconds as teenager Torrie Lewis of Australia won in a meet record, 22.96 seconds.

The meet was highlighted by a world record from Armand Duplantis of Sweden in the men’s pole vault. The World Indoor and Outdoor champion won with a clearance of 6.24 metres to beat his previous world best mark of 6.23.