BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom, CMC – There were mixed results for Caribbean athletes at the Diamond League meeting in Birmingham yesterday.
Jamaican Nesta Carter and Ryan Brathwaite were the only Caribbean winners as Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was upset in the Women’s 200 metres.
Carter took the Men’s 100m dash in a competitive 9.99 seconds despite his fourth finish in the Jamaica trials one week ago. The veteran Kim Collins finished third (10.06) behind Briton James Dasaolu (10.03). Jamaicans Kimmari Roach (10.17) and Julian Forte (10.26) were seventh and eighth respectively.
Brathwaite, the 2009 World Champion, continues to impress this season and beat Olympic champion and World Record-holder American Aries Merritt in the Men’s 110m hurdles.
The wind-aided 13.13 (+2.6) was the sixth fastest time this season and boosts his confidence ahead of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Moscow in August.
Fraser-Pryce had to settle behind Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare in the 200m even though the pre-race hype was billed between the Jamaican and American Carmelita Jeter.
Okagbare produced a late surge to win in 22.55, ahead of Fraser-Pryce 22.72. Sherone Simpson, also of Jamaica, was sixth and Jeter finished last. Bahamian Anthonique Strachan was disqualified.
In other results, Novlene Williams and Stephanie McPherson of Jamaica were third and fifth respectively in the Women’s 400m, while Trinidadian Jehue Gordon was fourth in the Men’s 400m hurdles in a season’s best 49.02. Javier Culson of Puerto Rico copped the victory in 48.59.
