RABAT — American Fred Kerley powered past Akani Simbine and Ferdinand Omanyala as he won the men’s 100 metres in 9.94 seconds at the Diamond League in Rabat, Morocco.
Kerley, who won silver in the 100 metres at the Tokyo Olympics, stormed to victory with a meeting record in lane five, using his long strides to his advantage in the final few metres and giving Simbine (9.99) and Omanyala (10.05) no chance of catching him.
“I can’t describe my happiness for winning this race and hitting the meeting record,” Kerley said according to Reuters.
“This is the result that I was expecting and I will keep up to achieve and reach the world Championship in the best shape ever.”
Olympic gold medallist Lamont Jacobs did not compete due to a back issue.
American Shamier Little won the women’s 400m hurdles in 53.95, while her compatriot Grant Holloway finished second behind Rasheed Broadbell in the 110m hurdles.
“I am not happy about my performance. My goal was the first place. The crowd was very loud and they got me distracted,” Tokyo silver medallist Holloway said.
“I’ll work harder now to get ready for the upcoming competitions especially the World Championship where my goal is to achieve the gold medal.”
In the final event of the night, home hero Soufiane el-Bakkali won the 3,000m steeplechase to the delight of the home crowd.
Olympic champion El-Bakkali ran a personal best of 7:56.68 – the fastest time this year – to finish well ahead of Getnet Wale (8:05.15) and Abraham Kibiwot (8:05.51).
The Diamond League moves to Florence in Italy on Friday, where Simbine, Kerley and Omanyala are again scheduled to face off.
Elsewhere, Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Kenya’s Mary Moraa, reigning Diamond League champions in the women’s high jump and 800 metres, claimed wins in their respective events.
Mahuchikh took victory with an effort of 2.01 metres. The Tokyo Games bronze medallist beat compatriot Iryna Gerashchenko, who managed 1.91.
Moraa clocked a time of 1:58.72 to finish ahead of Australia’s Catriona Bisset in second and American Sage Hurta-Klecker in third.
Earlier, Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway comfortably took the 1500m in 3:32.59. American Yared Nuguse surged to place second in a personal best 3:33.02 in his Diamond League debut after running the world’s second-fastest indoor mile in history in February.
Jamaican Rasheed Broadbell ran down world champion Grant Holloway in the 110m hurdles, prevailing 13.08 to 13.12 into a headwind. Holloway remains fastest in the world this year at 13.03.
Kenyan Korir, the Olympic and world champion, finished eighth in the 800m won by countryman Emmanuel Wanyonyi. Wanyonyi, 18, is the world’s fastest in 2023.
American Shamier Little won the 400m hurdles in 53.95, becoming second-fastest in the world this year behind countrywoman Britton Wilson.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the Olympic and world champion and world record holder, has yet to compete this outdoor season and so far has strictly committed to flat 400m races in future meets.
In the 400m, Olympic champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas won in 44.70, while world bronze medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain pulled up about 50 meters into the race.
