Sha’Carri Richardson sounded the biggest warning in the women’s sprints this early season after the American blasted to a stunning world-leading and personal best time of 10.72 seconds to win the 100 meters at the 2021 Miramar Invitational at the Ansin Sports Complex in Florida on Saturday, April 10.
Super-Fast Opener For Richardson At 2021 Miramar Invitational
Richardson’s time this weekend improved her previous personal best from 10.75 secs, set during her collegiate display for the LSU Tigers at the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas.
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The 21-year-old who opened the day with a comfortable 11.00 seconds run in the heats, returned in the final to dominate the field and easily improved the previous 2021 best of 10.99 secs, which was set by another former LSU standout Aleia Hobbs last weekend (April 3). The time is also the sixth-fastest on the all-time list.
Following home at the distant second was another American Javianne Oliver who ran a personal best time of 11.07, with Jamaica’s Natallah Whyte getting third in 11.16 and her compatriot Natasha Morrison, fourth in 11.19.
Kyree King of USA won the men’s 100m title after edging veteran Justin Gatlin on the line. King crossed the finishing line in 9.97 seconds (1.9 m/s), to pip Gatlin who was second in 9.98 seconds.
Cejhae Greene of Antigua & Barbuda, the fastest qualifier from the heats in the morning, improved his time to match his personal best but had to settle for third place in 10.00. Liberian sprinter Emmanuel Matadi ran 10.01 for fourth, while Isiah Young of USA who won section one of the finals in a wind-assisted 10.02 (+3.0 m/s) grabbed fifth overall.
Little And Haynes Thrilling 400m Battle
Another highlighted performance at the meeting came from American hurdles specialist Shamier Little after she continued her remarkable improvement in the flat 400m – posting a big-time personal best of 49.91 to nip countrywoman Quanera Haynes (49.92) in a thrilling encounter.
Little, who told World-Track earlier this year that despite her extraordinary progress in the 400m this season, she is only focusing on the 400m hurdles for the Olympics, may now reconsider those thoughts and compete in the open quarter-mile at the U.S. Olympic Trials this summer.
Her time at the Miramar Invitational bettered the previous world-leading time of 50.19 that she ran to win at the Texas Relays late last month.
Former USC sprinter Kendall Ellis was third in 50.48 to open her campaign in the event with Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson running 51.09 for forth place.
On the men’s side Justin Robinson led a 1-2-3 sweep for American athletes after he stopped the clock at 45.23 to take first place in his season opener and finished ahead of Will London who ran a season-best 45.31 for second and Kahmari Montgomery (45.39) took third place.
Harrison And Holloway Take Sprint Hurdles
Kendra Harrison opened her hurdles outdoor campaign with a wind-aided 12.38 seconds performance en route to taking the victory. The world record holder who ran 12.52 secs in the heats the lead all qualifiers during the morning session, returned to better that time albeit supported with a +2.7 m/s tailwind.
Great Britain pair Cindy Sember and Tiffany Porter followed Harrison home in second and third place respectively.
Sember, the 60m hurdles European Indoor silver medalist earlier this year ran 12.55 for the runner-up spot with her sister Porter, who won bronze at the European indoors getting third in Miramar with 12.57. Heptathlon star Taliyah Brooks of the USA collected fourth in 12.75.
In the meantime, world bronze medalist Ajee Wilson of the USA held on for victory in the women’s 800m after battling with Jamaica’s Natoya Goule in the closing meters.
Wilson who opened her outdoor season with a 1:58.93 performance at the Trials of Miles in Austin, Tex., in February, ran 2:00.57 at the Miramar Invitational to fend off Goule who came home second in 2:00.92. The Jamaican held the lead in the final 100m but the American chased her down to take the win.
Goule was coming off an impressive personal best time of 4:14.56 for the 1500m in her previous outing at the FSU Relays last month.
The men’s 800m was captured by Abe Alvarado of USA in 1:47.29, while the 1500m for men went to Kenya’s Michael Saruni in 3:45.84.
Fast Wind-Aided 200m Time For Bednarek
USA’s Kenny Selmon improved his own 2021 400m hurdles world-leading mark with a 48.81 seconds winning performance this weekend to get home ahead of countrymen Craig Allen (49.70) and Amere Lattin (49.71).
In other track events, Kenny Bednarek posted a time of 19.65 seconds to win the men’s 200m, but the performance was aided by a very strong +4.0 m/s positive wind reading.
USA’s Jenna Prandini won the women’s 200m in 22.29 seconds with her time supported by a positive wind reading of +2.3 m/s. Reigning Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica was left back in fourth place in 22.44, with second place going to American Brittany Brown (22.39) and third to Candice Hill (22.43).
World Champion Tajay Gayle Wins Men’s Long Jump
In field event action, world championships gold medalist Tajay Gayle made a big impression in the men’s long jump after stretching out to a world-leading 8.27m (27′ 1¾”) to take the victory in his first meeting outside of Jamaica this season.
The Doha 2019 world champion achieved his winning mark in the second round after fouling on his first attempt. Early event leader Holland Martin from the Bahamas was second with 8.15m with third going to Damacus Simpson of USA with 8.05m.
American Marquis Goodwin, competing in his second meeting this season in his comeback, did 7.69m for only seventh place.
The women’s event went to Canadian Christabel Nettey with a wind-aided 6.63m (3.4 m/s), while the women’s high jump went American Rachel McCoy with a clearance of 1.90m and the men’s event went to Shelby McEwen who cleared 2.26m.
Jamaica’s world silver medalist Danniel Thomas-Dodd opened her outdoor Olympic campaign with a solid 19.17m to win the women’s shot put.
The 2021 Miramar Invitational is the second stop in the USATF Journey to Gold – Tokyo Outdoor Series.
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