Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (© Getty Images)
Five-time world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce stormed to a meeting record of 10.82 to win her first 100m of the season at the Spitzen Leichtathletik meeting in Lucerne – a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meeting – on Friday (21).
The Jamaican sprint legend is returning from the injury that delayed the start to her season. She made her season debut earlier this month when finishing second over 200m at the Jamaican Championships in 22.26. With her performance tonight in Lucerne, she now moves to an encouraging fourth on this year’s world list over 100m.
Oceanian record-holder Zoe Hobbs finished second in 11.08 ahead of USA’s Kennedy Blackmon (11.11).
“I’m satisfied to set a meeting record in my first 100m race of the season,” said the 36-year-old, who will be racing in Madrid this weekend. “It was a new situation for me to come back from injury and start the season this late.”
USA’s 2019 world silver medallist Brittany Brown won the women’s 200m in 22.05 in her first race of the season over this distance, finishing 0.44 ahead of Jenna Prandini and moving to seventh on the 2023 world list. Brown will be heading to the World Championships in Budapest next month in the 100m, having finished second at the US Trials in a PB of 10.90.
“I am very happy, because it was my season opener in the 200m,” said Brown, who was just 0.06 shy of her PB. “I competed at this meeting in 2018 and 2022, and I always enjoy the atmosphere and the support from the crowd.”
Jamaica’s Julian Forte won the men’s 100m in 9.99 ahead of Jamaican champion Rohan Watson (10.03). Brandon Carnes took third place in 10.06, but returned to the track later in the evening to win the men’s 200m in a season’s best of 20.09, just 0.02 shy of his PB. World finalist Luxolo Adams of South Africa was second in 20.16.
Two-time Commonwealth champion Janieve Russell won a competitive 400m hurdles in a season’s best of 53.65 ahead of 2019 world champion Dalilah Muhammad (54.01), Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight (54.13) and USA’s Anna Cockrell (54.45).
On what turned out to be a great evening for Jamaican athletes, Tyler Mason won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.19 from compatriot Orlando Bennett (13.22). Amoi Brown made it a Jamaican sprint hurdles double by winning the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.64 ahead of 2015 world champion Danielle Williams (12.68) and USA’s Tonea Marshall (12.69).
Rusheen McDonald was yet another Jamaican winner tonight, taking the men’s 400m in 44.80.
Teenager Peninah Muthoni Mutisya pulled clear in the closing stages of the women’s 800m to win in a PB of 1:58.76, improving on the PB she set at the recent Kenyan Trials and moving her to fifth on the African U20 all-time list. Compatriot Vivian Kiprotich Chebet, who finished runner-up at the Kenyan Trials, was second again here in 1:59.71.
Dominic Lobalu set a meeting record of 7:37.39 to win the men’s 3000m, beating USA’s Olin Hacker (7:38.10) and Germany’s Mohamed Abdilaahi (7:38.98).
USA’s Bridget Williams needed three attempts to clear 4.55m and 4.65m before clearing 4.71m at the second time of asking to win the women’s pole vault from New Zealand’s Eliza McCartney (4.65m).
Four days after throwing a world-leading 67.04m in Silesia, Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi won the women’s javelin with a sixth-round effort of 62.52m. Yulemis Aguilar was second with 60.93m.
“Today’s competition was a bit difficult for me after throwing over 67 metres a few days ago,” said Kitaguchi, the world bronze medallist. “That mark meant a lot to me, but my goal is to throw far at the World Championships in Budapest and reach the podium there.”
Elsewhere in the throws, USA’s Roger Steen won the men’s shot put with 21.41m.
Diego Sampaolo for World Athletics
