US hammer thrower Brooke Andersen (© Getty Images)
USA’s world champion Brooke Andersen moved to third on the women’s hammer all-time list with a throw of 79.80m at the Virginia Challenge in Charlottesville on Thursday (20).
In her first competition of the season, the 27-year-old – who won world gold in Oregon after launching the implement 78.96m – added 78cm to her previous best achieved in Arizona a year earlier. Only world record-holder Anita Wlodarczyk and Andersen’s US compatriot DeAnna Price have ever thrown farther.
Andersen’s series on Thursday also included throws of 79.72m, which she achieved in the final round after throwing 79.80m on her fifth attempt, plus 78.90m, 78.39m and 76.21m.
Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson was another athlete to secure a strong start to her season, running a world-leading 10.82 (-0.1m/s) in her first 100m race of the year at the MVP Velocity Fest 13, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger event, in Kingston on Saturday (22).
The world 200m champion, who ran 50.92 for 400m at the last Velocity Fest meeting in March, claimed a clear 100m win ahead of her compatriot Natasha Morrison (11.09), while Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas was third in 11.11. Jackson earlier ran 11.05 to win her heat.
No wind information was available for the men’s 100m A final but that race was won by Britain’s Zharnel Hughes in 9.9h following the disqualification of Ackeem Blake for a false start. Blake ran 9.99 to win his heat and completed the final before being disqualified.
World U20 champion Kerrica Hill fought back in the 100m hurdles, winning in a PB of 12.75 (-0.1m/s) as she moved past Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper in the closing stages. Tapper was second in 12.99.
Hill’s time improves on her previous PB of 12.77 – a world U18 best over the senior height barriers that she set at the World U20 Championships in Cali last year – and moves the 18-year-old to equal third on the world U20 all-time list.
Sada Williams clocked 51.84 to win the 400m from Janieve Russell (52.41).
Jamaica’s 2019 world silver medallist Fedrick Dacres won the men’s discus with a 65.66m throw.
Over at the LSU Alumni Gold in Baton Rouge on Saturday (22), USA’s world sixth-place finisher Aleia Hobbs improved her season's best by 0.01, clocking 10.86 (1.9m/s) to win a battle with Tamari Davis (10.89), while Mikiah Brisco was third in 11.13. Godson Oghenebrume won the men’s 100m in a wind-assisted 9.97 (2.3m/s).
.@AleiaBitOfThis improves her world-lead to 10.86 seconds!
— LSU Track & Field (@LSUTrackField) April 22, 2023
This improves from her previous WL time of 10.87 at the Lloyd Wills Invitational 2 weeks ago.#GeauxTigers | 📊 https://t.co/eBsqJNtHHr pic.twitter.com/Qpux7qfIBj
Vernon Norwood ran 44.80 to win his 400m season opener ahead of Matt Hudson-Smith (45.28), while Alia Armstrong topped the 100m hurdles in 12.77 (-1.8m/s) ahead of Tonea Marshall (12.87).
World leader Masai Russell carried her strong 100m hurdles form to the Michael Johnson Invitational on Saturday, clocking 12.50 (1.1m/s) to win the final after a 12.80 heat. Demisha Roswell was second in the final in 12.84, ahead of Sharika Nelvis in 13.01.
On Friday (21), Abby Steiner ran 22.30 (1.5m/s) for a 200m win ahead of Anavia Battle (22.58) and Ashanti Moore (22.62). Moore turned the tables in the 100m on Saturday, clocking 11.12 (-0.4m/s) to Steiner’s 11.19.
Returning to the 110m hurdles for the first time since the World Championships last July, Devon Allen claimed victory at the Navy Spring Invitational in a wind-assisted 13.39 (2.9m/s). He also ran 10.34 (1.8m/s) in the 100m.
Competing at the ACNW Track & Field Open Meeting in Potchefstroom on Tuesday (18), Czech Republic’s Olympic and world javelin medallist Jakub Vadlejch recorded 88.38m for the farthest throw in the world so far this year.
At the PURE Athletics Spring Invitational in Florida on Sunday (23), 18-year-old Issam Asinga ran a wind-assisted 9.83 (2.6m/s) to win the 100m final, beating two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles (9.92) and Kendal Williams (9.98). Asinga had earlier clocked 9.86 (4.1m/s) to win his heat. Lyles won his heat in 9.90 (4.3m/s).
Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands completed a 100m and 200m double, the 17-year-old winning the 100m in a national record of 11.12 (1.8m/s) ahead of Gina Luckenkemper (11.14), and the 200m in a wind-assisted 22.76 (2.5m/s).
