Jamaica's Williams finishes third in fast 400m

Jamaican athletes found the going tough on a hot and humid day at yesterday's Paris Wanda Diamond League inside the Charlety Stadium in Paris.

National 400 metres champion Stacey-Ann Williams produced the best performance among the four Jamaicans at the meet, placing third in the women's one lap event.

Coming off a big run three days earlier at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Zagreb, where she won in a personal best and meet record of 49.48 seconds, Williams came face to face with Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, the world's second-fastest woman in the event this season

In the end, Paris Olympic gold medallist Paulino produced a brilliant performance. She swept past Williams early on the final curve and opened a big lead to pull away from her rivals and win in a new world-leading time of 48.48 seconds. The time was also a meet and Diamond League record. World Indoor champion, 21-year-old Gloria Lurdes Manuel of the Czech Republic, finished second in a personal best 49.37 while Williams registered her second-fastest time this season, 49.51, to finish third.

Paulino is set to face, previous world leader, Jamaica's Dejanea Oakley, on Friday at the Prefontaine Classic.

The winner and runner-up at the recent National Senior Championships, Demisha Roswell and Megan Simmonds respectively, had no luck in the women's 100m hurdles as both, after experiencing problems during the race, finished at the back of the field. Roswell was seventh in 12.78 seconds, with Simmonds eighth in 12.92.

World record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria won in 12.28 and equalled her season's best. The American pair of Grace Stark (12.38) and Alysha Johnson (12.39) both produced season's best times to finish second and third, respectively.

The other Jamaican in action yesterday, Danniel Thomas-Dodd, had to settle for sixth in the women's shot put with a distance of 18.88m. Sarah Mitton of Canada won with 19.99m, while Diamond League and world leader Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands could only manage third with 19.93m.

Audrey Werro of Switzerland continued her impressive form this season in the women's 800m after a front-running victory in 1:53.80, a meet and Diamond League record, as well as a national record and world-leading time. Femke Bol of the Netherlands, who switched from the 400m hurdles to the two-lap event this season, ended second in a personal best 1:55.60, with third going to Anais Bourgoin of France in a national record 1:55.65.

Jamal Britt of the United States was also at his best in the men's 110m hurdles as the Diamond League leader posted a personal best 12.89 seconds to win the event, ahead of Shunsuke Izumiya of Japan, who was second in 13.00 with third going to Trey Cunningham of the United States in 13.07.

World Championships 100m bronze medallist Noah Lyles was upstaged in the men's 100m by countryman Trayvon Bromell, who won in a season's best 9.91 seconds. The slow-starting Lyles ran on strongly for second in 9.92 with third going to Marcell Lamont Jacobs of Italy in 9.96.