Goule shines in Monaco - 800m standout posts new NR as Thompson suffers another loss

Natoya Goule pulled off another national record breaking performance on the Diamond League circuit yesterday in Monaco.

Goule stopped the clock at 1:56.15 seconds to erase her previous mark of 1:57.69, a time she did two weeks ago on the Rabat leg of the DiamondLeague series.

The former Manchester High School athlete struggled to run consistently under the 2 minute barrier before the start of this season, but seems to have found the formula this year, registering personal bests three times thus far.

Goule, with her new race strategy, bided her time in the first half of the race before chasing the Commonwealth Games champion, Caster Semenya, on the final lap. And though her chase proved futile, it resulted in her running another National Record. Semenya won the race in a meet record of 1:54.60 seconds. Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi finished second in 1:55.96 seconds.

But while Goule continues to have the season of her life, her former Manchester High School teammate Elaine Thompson continues to struggle to find the dominant form she showed previously, as she suffered another defeat in the women's 100m.

Third-place finish

The double Olympic Champion finished third in a time of 11.02 second behind the Ivory Coast pair of Marie- Josee Ta Lou and Murrielle Ahoure. Ta Lou won the race in 10.89 seconds, while Ahoure finished second in 11.01 seconds.

Hansle Parchment, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, ran a season best of 13.21 seconds for fourth in the 110m hurdles. The race was won by Sergey Shubenkov of Russia in 13.07 seconds.

Yanique Thompson, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, finished third in the women's 100m hurdles in 12.92 seconds. Queen Harrison of the USA won the race in a meet record of 12.64 seconds. Shimayra Williams, the other Jamaican in the race, finished eighth in 13.36 seconds.

The performance of the meet came in the women's 400m as Bahamian, Shaunae Miller Uibo, join the sub 49 seconds club. Miller-Uibo stormed to a new personal best performance of 48.97 seconds fending off rising star Eid Salwa Naser of Bahrain who also ran a personal best of 49.08 seconds.

"I got this sub 49 I was waiting for, so I am very happy although I was very tired at the end. Naser did well and that helped me as well," Miller-Uibo said.

Diamond League action continues today in London with Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, the two time Olympic 100m champion, set to make her return to the event. Jonielle Smith, the former Wolmer' High School for Girls standout, will also feature in the race.

Nathon Allen, the former St Jago High School standout, will also be in action in the men's 400m. Janieve Russell, fresh off her Athletics World Cup victory last week, will contest the women's 400m hurdles along with World Championship bronze medallist Ristannana Tracey.

Danielle Williams, who lowered her personal best to 12.48 seconds earlier this summer, will look to continue her good form in the 100m hurdles when the meet continues tomorrow.