Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce made up for the absence of injured Usain Bolt by storming to double 100m glory in the Diamond League meet in Paris on Saturday.
However, there was heartbreak for Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba, who narrowly missed out on breaking her older sister Tirunesh’s world record in the women’s 5,000m.
Former 100m world record holder Powell held his nerve to power through the line in 9.81 seconds, Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut equaling the European record of 9.86 seconds in second ahead of Michael Rodgers (9.99) of the US.
Photo: AFP
“It was a great race and I got a good start!” Powell said. “I need to keep my focus and run fast like that.”
“I saw Jimmy was close and I thought ‘wow,’” he added.
Defending two-time Olympic 100m champion Fraser-Pryce is not doubling up at the world championships in Beijing, saying her coach Stephen Francis wanted to regain her explosive start.
That certainly did not hinder her at the Stade de France as she blasted to an impressive victory in 10.75 seconds, ahead of Nigerian Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor (10.80) and English Gardner (10.97) of the US.
“When you have good runners you always run fast,” Fraser-Pryce said. “That’s the motivation for me, but I have room to improve in my technique and in the start.”
In a gripping 5,000m, Dibaba and compatriot Almaz Ayana were glued together until the last lap, when the former struck out.
However, her efforts were to no avail as she fell an agonizing 4.26 seconds short of her sister’s record of 14 minutes, 11.15 seconds, set in Oslo in 2008.
There was the unusual sight in the women’s shot put of seeing double Olympic and four-time world champion Valerie Adams finishing off the podium in fifth, her first loss in almost five years, breaking a 56-event winning streak.
The 30-year-old’s return from double surgery ended meekly with a foul, but she promised to be in shape for Beijing.
“I knew the winning streak was in danger and I lost it, but I do not feel that sorry. We can start again!” Adams said.
“With better execution, I will improve. There’s still a lot of time until Beijing,” she added.
Another unlikely spectacle was watching the US’ Evan Jager leading a strong field of Kenyans into the final bend of the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, only to come a cropper on the final hurdle to allow Jairus Kipchoge Birech past in a world leading 7 minutes, 58.83 seconds.
Jager still snagged a US record after scrambling back to his feet and finishing second (8 minutes, 0.45 seconds), with Kenya’s two-time Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi down in 11th.
“This is a wake-up call for Kenya,” Birech said.
“We need to go back and train and be ready for Jager,” he added.
Wayde van Niekerk ran a fantastic men’s 400m, the 22-year-old South African shattering his personal best with an African record of 43.96 seconds to beat Grenadian Olympic champion Kirani James (44.17) into second.
“Kirani is the guy who inspires me, so it’s something special that I was able to win,” Van Niekerk said. “I think it’s the start of something great for me.”
James, also 22, said he would go straight into full training for Beijing.
“This was my last race before the worlds,” he said. “It was a very competitive race and Wayde ran a very good one, but I’m satisfied with my season so far, I’m consistent enough.”
Reigning world, African and Commonwealth champion Eunice Sum continued her unbeaten year with a comprehensive victory in the women’s 800m in a world-leading 1 minute, 56.99 seconds.
And there was more Kenyan glory in the men’s 1,500m, Silas Kiplagat kicking magnificently for home to win in 3 minutes, 30.12 seconds, also the fastest time this season.
In the field, Qatari favorite Mutaz Essa Barshim could only finish fifth, as Russia’s Daniil Tsyplakov (2.32m) beat Bahamian Donald Thomas on countback.
Home hopes were then dashed when Renaud Lavillenie failed three times at 5.86m, Konstantinos Filippidis going on to win the pole vault in 5.91m.
And Lavillenie’s teammate Pascal Martinot-Lagarde flopped in the 100m hurdles, coming in fifth as Cuba’s Orlando Ortega stormed home in an impressive 12.94 seconds.
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
Robinson Cano spent 17 seasons playing in the MLB in front of all kinds of baseball fans, but he said there is something special about his stint with the Mexican Baseball League’s Diablos Rojos. He is not alone. The league last week opened its 100th season, aiming to keep an impressive growth in attendance that began after the national team’s surprise run at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and is already surpassing some first-division soccer clubs. After finishing third in the 2023 tournament, many casual fans, some of them soccer enthusiasts disappointed after Mexico were eliminated in the first round in the 2022
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
Arne Slot has denied that Darwin Nunez was dropped from Liverpool’s win against West Ham because of a training-ground row with a member of his coaching staff. The Liverpool head coach on Sunday last week said that Nunez was absent from the 2-1 victory at Anfield, having felt unwell during training the day before, although the striker sat behind the substitutes throughout the game. Speculation has been rife that the Uruguay international, whom Slot criticized for his work rate against Wolves and Aston Villa in February, was left out for disciplinary reasons. Asked on Friday to clarify the situation, Slot said: “He
RSS