ROME (Sporting Alert) — Usain Bolt delivered a spanking 9.76 seconds (-0.1 m/s) world-leading time to hammer a solid field and win the men’s 100m dash at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rome on Thursday.
The Jamaican world record holder got away first time and kept moving away from the field as the race went on to take down fellow countryman Asafa Powell, who race 9.91secs for second place.
Bolt, who was given the stardom ride out to wave to the cheering fans prior to his race, improved his previous world-leading mark of 9.82.
Third went the France’s Christophe Lemaitre in 10.04.
In the women’s race, Murielle Ahoure upset her Jamaican rivals, including Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and fast finishing Kerron Stewart – for the victory.
Ahoure improved the Ivory Coast national record to 11.00 seconds with the win, while Fraser-Pryce was second in 11.06 and Stewart third in 11.10.
Spencer Shines, Walker Fades
Kaliese Spencer improved on her seasonal best to win the women’s 400m hurdles event – a race in which Olympic champion Melaine Walker, her Jamaican teammate and training partner trailed home in second to last in 56.26.
Spencer ran 54.39 seconds for first place – beating American world champion Lashinda Demus, who ran home in 54.80 and Ti’erra Brown, also of USA, 54.96.
The men’s race saw world-leader Javier Culson taking first in 48.14 seconds, but former world and Olympic champion Felix Sanchez of Dominican Republic had a footing problem approaching the finishing line and fell over after challenging the leaders.
Felix was in third place at the time.
American Bershawn Jackson took second in 48.25 with South African Cornel Fredericks finishing third in 49.21.
Magiso Over Takes Jelimo
The women’s 800m provided an exciting finish, as Ethiopian sensation Fantu Magiso got the better of Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo of Kenya.
Magiso timed her move to perfection when overtaking the world leader Jelimo with 110m left in the race to win a new personal best of 1:57.56, improving on her previous mark of 1:57.90, which was also accomplished this season. The time also broke her Ethiopian national record.
The fading Jelimo crossed the finishing line second in 1:58.33, while 2009 world champion Caster Semenya of South Africa was third, at 1:58.56.
A total of seven runners went faster than two-minutes in the race.
Big Final Throw For Adams
Valerie Adams delivered another world-leading mark and meeting record of 21.03m to take the women’s Shot Put event, beating Lijiao Gong of China (19.79m) and Belarus’ Nadzeya Ostapchuk (19.58).
Olha Saladuha leaped a seasonal best equaling effort of 14.75m to win the women’s triple jump competition over Olga Rypakova (14.73m) of Kazakhstan. World-leader Caterine Ibargüen of Columbia was third in 14.71m.
