RABAT- A week after she ran a season’s best 10.79 seconds at the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Oregon, Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica broke her own record – 10.87 seconds she had set in 2017 – at the Diamond League meeting in Rabat, running 10.83 seconds to win the women’s 100m.
“I feel amazing about the race,” Thompson-Herah said afterwards, “This is my third time in Rabat and I’m super excited about the new meeting record of 10.83 seconds.”
The five-time Olympic gold medallist and two-time double Olympic sprint champion said she would compete in the Rome Diamond League meeting on Thursday as she said, “I’m following the same process and keeping up the same pace”.
Olympic silver medallist Kenny Bednarek began the defence of his 200 metres Diamond League title with a comfortable win in Rabat.
American Bednarek, who made a disappointing start to his season by finishing eighth in the 100m race in Eugene, Oregon last week, showed no signs of rust in his preferred event by crossing the line in 20.21 seconds.
Assisted by the wind, the 23-year-old finished 0.14 ahead of South African Luxolo Adams while Italian Eseosa Fostine Desalu was third with a time of 20.54.
“I’m happy with the victory and my season best though I wanted to do a better performance and achieve a higher timing,” Bednarek said according to Reuters.
The Diamond League action shifts to Italy on Thursday for the fifth meeting of the season in Rome, although Olympic sprint champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs will not feature on home soil having pulled out due to a muscle injury.
“Now, I’ll go back home and train harder to prepare for the world championships.”
Olympic champion Thompson-Herah overcame a shoulder injury and Achilles issues to win the women’s 100m event in last week’s dry run for July’s world championships in the United States and the Jamaican looked unstoppable again.
She exploded out of the blocks at Prince Moulay Abdellah stadium — which was hosting the Diamond League for the first time since 2019 — and sealed the victory in 10.83 seconds, improving on her own meeting record of 10.87 set in 2017.
“I feel amazing about the race,” said the 29-year-old, who is hoping to add an individual world championships title to her collection of five Olympic gold medals.
“This is my third time in Rabat and I’m super excited about the new meeting record. For the next event in Rome I’m following the same process and keeping up the same pace.”
Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou was second after clocking 11.04 and Thompson-Herah’s compatriot Natasha Morrison took the bronze medal with a time of 11.22.
Earlier, Ukraine’s world indoor champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh bagged her second Diamond League high jump victory of the season with an effort of 1.96 metres.
The Tokyo Games bronze medallist edged out compatriot Iryna Gerashchenko, who managed 1.93.
Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou won the men’s long jump with a superb effort of 8.27m.
Marie Jose Ta Lou of the Ivory Coast was second with a season’s best 11.04 seconds and Morrison placed third in 11.22 seconds, also a season’s best for her.
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