BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson stormed to victory in the women’s 100 metres at the Diamond League meet in Brussels on Friday, handing compatriot and twice Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce her first defeat of the season by one-hundredth of a second.
Fraser-Pryce was quick off the blocks and looked well set to win her fourth Diamond League title of the season before Jackson reeled her in over the final 20 metres, winning with a time of 10.73 seconds. Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou was third (10.78).
“It takes a lot of hard work to beat Shelley-Ann, she’s a tough cookie to beat,” Jackson said after her first win and fifth podium in the Diamond League this season.
“Tonight I had a good execution … probably not perfect but it paid off in the end.”
Fraser-Pryce, who pulled out of last week’s final in Lausanne due to a hamstring injury, said she would “listen to my body” before making a decision on running in next week’s final event in Zurich.
Sweden’s pole vault world record holder Armand Duplantis, a six-times winner in the Diamond League this year, was upset when he failed to clear 5.91 metres, handing Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines the victory.
Duplantis was well clear of the bar on his final attempt but clattered into it on the way down, wearing a bewildered look as he wondered how he had failed to clear a mark that was 30 centimetres lower than his world record.
“I didn’t jump as I would have liked for sure. I think definitely that I could have jumped higher,” Duplantis said.
“I am human and I make mistakes and I definitely did some today. I didn’t find good rhythm on the runway today.”
American Erriyon Knighton won the men’s 200m out in lane seven, running a superb bend and maintaining his lead on the stretch under pressure from Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic.
With a head wind of nearly 3 m/s, Knighton clocked 20.07 seconds for his first Diamond League win, qualifying for next week’s final, while Ogando was second (20.18) and Canada’s Aaron Brown third (20.22).
“There was a lot of wind tonight, when I came out of the bend the wind just hit me,” Knighton said. “Next up is Zurich, hopefully with some less wind.”
American Kara Winger, who is set to retire after this season, will go out on a high after the 36-year-old won the women’s javelin with a world-leading mark of 68.11m, breaking the national record.
“My last personal best was 12 years ago in 2010 and I had two surgeries since then, but I felt really amazing this year,” she said. “I just cannot believe it yet.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
