Photo: Novlene Williams-Mills won the Women’s 400m in 52.29 second at the Diamond League Meet in Stockholm Sweden on Thursday. (Getty Images)
Jamaica’s 2015 mile relay Gold medallist Novlene Williams-Mills continued her preparation for the upcoming National Senior Trials and by extension the Rio Olympics with victory in the 400 metres at the Diamond League Meet in Stockholm Sweden on Thursday.
Williams Mills was quickest away and powered down the backstretch before fading a little coming off the curve but still managed to hold off the chasing pack to win in a 52.29 seconds.
The time was way off her season best effort of 50. 87 seconds, but gave her first win on the IAAF Diamond League trail and propelled her into third position behind Bahamian Shaunae Miller and fellow country woman Stephanie McPherson. Second spot went to Great Britain’s Anykia Onuora 52.46 seconds and Italy’s Libania Grenot 52. 62 seconds.
The women’s 200m went to Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in 22.72 seconds ahead of the fast finishing Jamaican Simone Facey who crossed the line in 22.81 and teammate Desiree Henry 22.88 seconds.
Former Jamaican sprinter, now plying his trade for Turkey, Jak Ali Harvey won the men’s 100m in a modest 10.18 seconds. He managed to defeat the inform Ivorian athlete Yousset Ben Meite 10.25 and Antigua’s Daniel Bailey 10.35.
World leader in the 100m sprint hurdles Kendra Harrison made light work of the field winning in 12.66 seconds ahead of compatriots Nia Ali 12. 85 and Queen Harrsion 12.87 seconds.
The biggest cheers however came for fifth place and Sweden’s record holder Susanna Kallur who made her fourth comeback in 5 and a half years. The 60m hurdles world record holder, now 34, cross the line in 13.00 seconds.
Unfazed by a false start of the USA’s Bershawn Jackson, Puerto Rico Javier Culson made a strong start and went across the line in 49.43 seconds to secure the men’s 400m hurdles. Kerron Clement of USA (49.87) and Patryk Dobek of Poland (49.89) were second and third respectively.
Kenya’s Olympic and World men’s 800m champion David Rudisha had a disappointing outing as he fell behind in the home stretch and finished fourth in 1:45.69 despite leading the field coming off the final turn with the lead. Teammate Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich snatching an unlikely win in 1:45.07 seconds. Ambrossie Pierre Bosse of France 1:45.23 and Adam Kszczot of Poland 1:45. 41 were second and third respectively.
Bahrain Ruth Jebet was arguably the best track performer on the day producing a meet record run of 9:08.37 seconds to win the 3000m steeplechase. Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya was second in 9:22.56 ahead of Ethiopia’s Sofia Assefa in 9:27.73 seconds.
Poland’s Angelika Cichocka won the women’s 1500m in a season best time of 4:03.25 ahead of home town girl Meraf Bahta in 4:04.37 and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsega 4:04.37 seconds.
It was an Ethiopian clean sweep in the men’s 5000m as Ibrahim Jeilan won in 13:03.22 seconds ahead of Yomif Kejelcha 13:03.66 and Muktar Edris 13:05.54.
In the pole vault, world record holder and Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie won with a height of 5.73m, while Croatian Sandra Perkvic extending her winning streak in the Discus event with 68.32m.
The Men’s Shot put went to New Zealand’s Tom Walsh with an effort of 21.13m and Egypt’s Ihab Abdelrahman won the Javelin event with 86.00m.
The next Diamond League meet will be in Herculis Monaco on July 15.2016
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