US sprinter Trayvon Bromell (© Getty Images)
Trayvon Bromell continued his return to top form, dashing to a world-leading 9.88 (1.5m/s) at the North Florida Invitational on Friday (30).
The 2016 world indoor 60m champion, who won at last weekend’s World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting in Eugene, produced the fastest time of his career since the 2016 US Olympic Trials to win comfortably from Canada’s world and Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse and Nigeria’s Divine Oduduru, both timed at 10.05.
Bromell’s winning clocking is just 0.04 shy of his lifetime best and follows on from his impressive indoor form, having clocked 6.48 for 60m in his first competition of 2021.
On Thursday (29), the first day of action at the North Florida Invitational, Oduduru won the men’s 200m in 19.88 (1.6m/s), coming within 0.15 of the national record he set two years ago. Cravont Charleston was second in 20.16, while JoVaughn Martin, a surprise recent addition to the 100m sub-10-second club, won the second 200m heat in 20.22 (0.1m/s).
The wind was slightly over the allowable limit for the women’s 200m, but Blessing Okagbare’s 22.03 victory was no less impressive. The world and Olympic medallist dominated the race, winning by 0.8 from Alfreda Steele.
The wind blew the other way for world indoor record-holder Grant Holloway, but the world champion won the men’s 110m hurdles regardless, stopping the clock at 13.22 (-2.0m/s). Trey Cunningham was a couple of strides behind in second place (13.48). World U20 record-holder Brittany Anderson won the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.91 (-0.8m/s).
Trevor Stewart held off a strong challenge from Randolph Ross to win the men’s 400m, 44.52 to 44.69. In other sprint action, Hannah Cunliffe took the women’s 100m in 11.07 (1.9m/s) and Wadeline Jonathas won the women’s 400m in 51.21.
Daniel Haugh produced the best field event performance of the meeting, throwing a lifetime best of 78.05m to win the men’s hammer. Elsewhere, Isaac Grimes won the long jump with 8.07m (1.1m/s) and Lina Nielsen won the women’s 400m hurdles in 55.27.
Davis maintains momentum
World leader Tara Davis continued her recent run of good form to win the long jump at the Texas Invitational in Austin on Friday (30).
The 2015 world U18 champion, who set a PB of 7.14m in March, came close to the seven-metre barrier in Austin, sailing out to 6.97m (0.5m/s) and backing it up with jumps of 6.92m and 6.85m.
In other action in Austin, Jenna Prandini won a high-quality 200m in a marginally wind-assisted 22.22 (2.1m/s) from Kynnedy Flannel (22.52). Britain’s Jodie Williams won another heat in 22.68 (2.7m/s).
On Saturday (1), world record-holder Keni Harrison improved her season's best to 12.48 (-0.3m/s) to go quickest in the 100m hurdles ahead of Davis (12.75) and move to second on this summer's rankings behind Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who clocked 12.32 in Florida in April.
Shane Brathwaite took the 110m hurdles in a wind-assisted 13.61 (2.4m/s), while top in the 400m hurdles races were Ashley Spencer with 56.54 and Amere Lattin with 49.72.
Prandini achieved a sprint double, winning her 100m heat in 11.16 (-0.3m/s) ahead of Teahna Daniels' 11.29, while top in the men's races was Micaiah Harris who clocked a wind-assisted 10.20 (2.6m/s).
Williams was back in action in the 400m and won in 51.32, with the men's results led by Will London with 45.23.
Wlodarczyk returns with 73.87m
In her first competition for almost two years, Poland's hammer great Anita Wlodarczyk returned with a throw of 73.87m in Antalya, Turkey, where she has been training.
The world record-holder with 82.98m, who has won two Olympic and four world titles, underwent knee surgery in 2019 and has focused on her rehab and training since, as she targets the Olympics in Tokyo. She will next compete at the European Throwing Cup in Split, Croatia on 8-9 May.
Grovdal runs 14:39 5km
Less than a month after Britain's Beth Potter ran 14:41, Norway's Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal joined her in posting a fast 5km time which is quicker than the official world record, but like Potter's mark it may not be eligible to be ratified as a world record.
Running in a mixed race in Disena in Norway on Saturday (1), Grovdal clocked 14:39 which, if ratified, would improve Beatrice Chepkoech's world record by four seconds. There were reports, however, that the course may not have been officially certified for record purposes.
Two-time Olympian Grovdal, whose previous 5km road best was 15:04 from last year, has two European medals to her name, having claimed 3000m steeplechase bronze in 2018 and 10,000m bronze in 2016.
Results
