RIETI, Italy, CMC – Jamaican Kaliese Spencer continued to make up for her World Championship disappointment by winning her second race in three days at the Rieti IAAF World Challenge here yesterday.
The 24-year-old clocked 53.60 seconds to capture the 400 metres hurdles, finishing ahead of Russia’s Natalya Antyukh (55.05) and the Ukraine’s Anastasiya Rabchenyuk (55.81), who were second and third respectively.
Only Thursday, Spencer stormed to victory at the Weltklasse Zürich Diamond League.
The former World Junior champion was a letdown in Daegu last week, finishing a disappointing fourth.
There were also victories on Saturday for the Jamaican duo of Schillonie Calvert and Shericka Williams.
Calvert beat a below-par field to sew up the 100 metres in 11.09 seconds, with World champion sprint hurdler Australian Sally Pearson finishing second in 11.24 seconds and Bulgaria’s Ivet Lalova third in 11.26.
Williams, meanwhile, snatched the 400 metres, clocking 50.81 seconds to cross the tape ahead of Russia’s Tatyana Firova (50.97).
Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games sprint champion Lerone Clarke had to settle for silver in the 100 metres as American Walter Dix finally found success, after losing in Zurich on Thursday to World champion Yohan Blake.
Clarke timed 10.06 seconds while Dix won in 10.02.
American LaShawn Merritt, who suffered defeats to teenaged Grenadian superstar Kirani James in his last two outings, won the 200 metres in 20.13 seconds, with Jamaican Mario Forsythe third in 20.51.
