Janieve Russell, Continental Cup 400m hurdles champion (© Getty Images )
Shamier Little, beaten to the Diamond League women’s 400m hurdles title in Zurich last month by her US colleague Dalilah Muhammad, the Rio 2016 champion, suffered another narrow defeat here.
This time it was her Jamaican rival – and Team Americas colleague - Janieve Russell who took the honours, motoring into the finishing straight from lane one and coming home in 53.62.
The consolation for Little, who had entered the finishing straight with a narrow lead in lane five, was contributing to a resounding victory that kept Team Americas well in the hunt for the overall honours.
“It’s my first Continental Cup and I’m really happy to win here, and that we were the winning team,” said Russell. “I was blessed to achieve both of these goals, because I had some hamstring problems before Ostrava. This win gives me more confidence for next season, when I aim to stay injury-free.”
Asia-Pacific runner Aminat Jamal of Bahrain, who has run 55.54 this season, looked good around the final bend before Little, and then Russell, surged past her, and she drifted back to fifth place in 55.65.
Third and fourth place went to Team Europe, with Ukraine’s Anna Yaroshchuk-Ryzhykova clocking a season’s best of 54.47 in lane eight, and Britain’s European bronze medallist Meghan Beesley finishing strongly to record 55.58.
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF
