Jasmine Camacho-Quinn on her way to a 100m hurdles win at the USATF Bermuda Grand Prix (© Alex Andrei)
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn clocked one of the fastest ever 100m hurdles times in all conditions, Tara Davis-Woodhall won an exciting long jump clash and Steven Gardiner continued his comeback with a win at a blustery USATF Bermuda Grand Prix in Devonshire on Sunday (21).
Athletes battled their rivals and the windy conditions at the fifth World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of the season.
In the 100m hurdles, Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion Camacho-Quinn followed her win at the Doha Diamond League by blazing to the third-fastest ever time in the event recorded in all conditions. She crossed the finish line in a wind-assisted 12.17 (3.5m/s) and only Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan – with her world record of 12.12 and the wind-assisted 12.06 she clocked to win the world title in Oregon – has ever gone faster.
Jamaica’s 2015 world gold medallist Danielle Williams didn't get the best start but still won the battle for the runner-up spot, running 12.38 to Tonea Marshall’s 12.39.
The meeting opened with the women’s long jump, featuring the much-hyped head-to-head between USA’s Davis-Woodhall and Quanesha Burks. It certainly delivered, and the thrilling contest ended with both athletes surpassing seven metres with wind-aided attempts.
The pair were separated by a single centimetre until the final round – Burks with 7.04m (2.9m/s) from the third round and Davis-Woodhall with 7.03m from the second (3.7m/s) and third (2.3m/s) rounds of the contest.
But Davis-Woodhall wasn’t prepared to settle for second and she saved her best for last, soaring a marginally wind-aided 7.11m (2.1m/s) to triumph. Nigeria’s Ruth Usoro finished third with an outdoor PB of 6.82m (1.2m/s).
The men’s long jump also really came alive in the last round. In third place with one attempt remaining, Commonwealth champion LaQuan Nairn of The Bahamas soared out to a wind-aided 8.32m (2.2m/s) to win by 9cm ahead of USA’s Steffin McCarter, who jumped 8.23m in rounds five (2.5m/s) and six (2.1m/s). USA’s Will Williams was third with 8.18m (3.8m/s).
Back on the track, Olympic champion Gardiner of The Bahamas made a statement in his first 400m of the season, cruising to victory in 44.42. The 2019 world champion missed much of the 2022 season due to injury, but he picked up from where he left off, winning by 0.82 ahead of his compatriot Alonzo Russell (45.24).
Puerto Rico’s Gabby Scott got top spot in the women’s 400m, clocking 51.65 to win clear ahead of USA’s Courtney Okolo (52.23) and Jamaica’s Candice McLeod (52.30). USA’s 2019 world 400m hurdles champion Dalilah Muhammad raced without the barriers and clocked 53.41 to finish sixth in the flat event.
The wind picked up again for the men’s 100m and there were some quick times, USA’s Christian Coleman winning in 9.78 (4.4m/s) as the 2019 world champion held off a fast-finishing Noah Lyles, the two-time world 200m champion coming through to finish second in 9.80. Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake clinched third in 9.87 and Terrance Laird fourth in 9.94.
400m winner Steven Gardiner in Bermuda (© Alex Andrei)
The top two dipped under 11 seconds in the women’s 100m, USA’s Tamari Davis winning in 10.91 (2.0m/s) and Jamaica’s Shashalee Forbes making the most of the slight dip in the wind to record a PB of 10.98, the Olympic and world 4x100m medallist going sub-11 for the first time in her career.
World 4x100m and 4x400m champion Abby Steiner continued her unbeaten run this season in the 200m, this time clocking 22.06 (3.1m/s) to win ahead of Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas in 22.34.
The men’s 200m featured a win for USA’s Elijah Morrow as he held off Canada’s Olympic champion Andre De Grasse and USA’s Kendal Williams. Morrow’s winning time was 20.11 (4.7m/s) while De Grasse and Williams both clocked 20.28.
USA’s Jamal Britt dipped under 13 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles and despite the wind being well over the legal limit at 4.0m/s, he was still happy to have broken the barrier. He won in 12.99 ahead of Eric Edwards (13.07) and Freddie Crittenden (13.13) in a US top three. Robert Dunning suffered a fall in the closing stages.
Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight may have found the conditions tough going, particularly down the home straight, but she persevered to win the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.90 ahead of USA’s Cassandra Tate (55.06). There was disappointment for USA’s 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Ashley Spencer, who fell at the first hurdle.
USA’s Olivia Baker pipped Uganda’s Susan Aneno in the women’s 800m, with world indoor silver medallist Baker securing a narrow win with 2:03.15 to Aneno’s 2:03.17, while Canada’s Rob Heppenstall took the men’s 1500m in 3:41.83 to Ethan Hussey’s 3:42.52.
In the men’s triple jump, USA’s multiple Olympic and world triple jump medallist Will Claye bounded out to a wind-assisted 17.45m (3.1m/s) to win his second competition of the year, with USA’s Donald Scott and Jamaica’s Jordan Scott both jumping wind-aided marks of 17.06m to finish second and third, respectively, on countback.
