Nelson clocks wind-aided 10.88 to win Diamond League 100m

SPRINTER Kemba Nelson  hit top form at the  Doha Wanda Diamond League in Qatar yesterday. 

   Nelson clocked a wind-assisted (2.5mps) 10.88 seconds to win the women's 100 metres. She got off to a flying start and kept pulling away from her rivals.  Italy's Zaynab Dosso, the World Indoor 60m champion, was second in 11.01, with third going to Patrizia van der Weken of Luxembourg in 11.05.

    Nelson was very happy with her time.

  "Shocked. I mean, I have not run that fast since 2022. I have been trying, I have been through so much, so to be able to run that fast time means a lot to me. Once we are Jamaicans, we are always amongst the best, so I can say I am one of the best just being Jamaican. It is really a deep pool, but I am a part of that deep pool," she said.

    There were second-place finishes for 400m hurdler Rushell Clayton and triple jumper Jordan Scott at the meet.

    After finishing third in her last two Diamond League meets, Clayton clocked a season's best 53.05  for her runner-up spot.  Emma Zapletalova of Slovakia maintained her unbeaten run this season in the event. She improved her personal best to win in a national record and world-leading 52.30. Kemi Adekoya of Bahrain finished third in a season's best 53.67.

   Clayton was pleased with her performance.

"It was pretty good. I wish I had executed a little better but I had a season's best and it feels really good. This was my first time in Doha since the 2019 World Championships and it feels pretty amazing," she said.

Scott  also produced a personal best of 17.69m in the men's triple jump but had to settle for second place. Pedro Pichardo of Portugal produced a world-leading mark of 17.71m to win the event with Mohammed Yasser Triki of Algeria ending third in a personal best and national record  17.67m.

High jumper Raymond Richards ended fourth in this event after clearing 2.20 metres. Matteo Sioli of Italy won with a best of 2.27m, the same height achieved by home favourite Mutaz Essa Barshim for second.

There was also a world-leading mark in the women's triple jump, where Cuban athletes secured a one-two finish. Davisleydi Velazco won with a personal best 15.13m ahead of countrywoman Leyanis Hernandez Perez with a season's best 14.97m. Saly Sarr of Senegal was third with a national record and personal best 14.67m.

World 400m champion Marileidy Paulino was very impressive in her first outing of the season in the one-lap event. She won in  a meet record 48.91, the number-two performance in the world this year behind Jamaica's Dejanea Oakley's 48.79.