Jamaican trio sweeps 100m podium

World Athletics Championship silver medalist Tina Clayton produced a season’s best performance of 10.85 seconds, to lead a Jamaican sweep of the medals in the women’s 100m at Sunday’s Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athlétisme de Rabat in Morocco, the third stop on the Wanda Diamond League circuit.

Clayton, who got out quickly and controlled the race from the start, finished just shy of the meeting record 10.83 seconds set by Elaine Thompson-Herah in 2022.

Lavanya Williams placed second in a personal best 10.95 seconds, while Jonielle Smith took third in 11.00 seconds, with both athletes making their Diamond League debuts.

Jamaica also picked up a podium finish in the women’s 400m hurdles, where Rushell Clayton finished third in 53.75 seconds. Andrenette Knight placed eighth in 55.37 seconds.

The event was won by Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova, who set a national record and world-leading time of 52.82 seconds.

American Anna Cockrell was second in 53.18 seconds.

In the women’s high jump, Lamara Distin finished joint fourth with a best clearance of 1.91m, while Kerrica Hill was ninth in the 100m hurdles in a season’s best 12.71 seconds (1.2m/s) in her Diamond League debut. Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan won in 12.28 seconds, breaking her own meet record of 12.45 seconds.

In the field events, Rajindra Campbell placed seventh in the men’s shot put with 21.04m, after setting a national record of 22.34m in China last week. The event was won by American Joe Kovacs with a world-leading and meet record 22.58m.

Bryan Levell finished ninth in the men’s 200m in 20.44 seconds (0.4m/s).

(Jamaica Gleaner)