Several Olympic medal hopefuls secured victories at the 2021 Muller British Grand Prix in Gateshead, England, on Tuesday, the final Wanda Diamond League meeting before the start of delayed 2020 Tokyo Games. Complete results here
Bromell Returns To Winning Ways
World leader Trayvon Bromell returned to winning ways in the men’s 100m after he eased to victory in 9.98seconds. The American was only fifth at the Monaco Diamond League meeting but his performance in Gateshead shows that he remains the favorite to win the gold medal in Tokyo later this summer.
“I’ll take that win and I really want to get back into training, get my body under wraps, recover and get ready for Tokyo. I want to be healthy and I’m blessed for that,” the American said after the win.
Great Britain champion Chijindu Ujah ran 10.10 for second place, and finished just ahead of his teammate Zharnel Hughes, Canadian Andre de Grasse and American Fred Kerley who all stopped the clock at 10.13.
Elaine Thompson-Herah continued her fine-tuning for the Tokyo Olympic with a solid performance on her way to winning the women’s 200m in 22.43s. The double Olympic sprint champion ran quick opening 100m and then maintained her form in the closing meters to defeat the fast-finishing Jodi Williams of Great Britain who ran a seasonal best of 22.60s for second.
“It helps me to build my confidence to get that win on the board,” said Thompson-Herah. “It may not be my fastest time but I’m still pleased with that. I need to get the work in to get that curve as quick as possible and keep pushing forward.”
Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria who was in second place heading into the last few meters, was pushed back into third in 22.61s with American collegiate standout Tamara Clark getting fourth in 22.62s. World champion Dina Asher-Smith was scheduled to run at the meeting but withdrew over the weekend due to a slight tight hamstring.
Bol Dominates Little Again
Dutch and European star Femke Bol dominated the women’s 400m hurdles despite running almost a full second slower than her season and personal best. The Olympic medal contender once again went out hard over the opening 200m to build a lead entering the home straight before pulling away from the rest of the field to win in 53.24s.
American Shamier Little was beaten into second place for the third successive time, crossing in 54.53s, while Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell trailed home in third place with 54.66. Great Britain’s Jessie Knight ran a personal best of 54.69s for fourth.
Levy Tops McLeod In 110m Hurdles
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Omar McLeod was beaten by countryman Ronald Levy in the men’s 110m hurdles. The two Jamaican ran close together for most of the race but McLeod clipped the penultimate hurdle and surrendered the lead to Levy who went on to win in 13.23s.
McLeod who will not defend his Olympic title after finishing eighth at the Jamaica Olympic Trials last month, was second in 13.48s with third place going to European Indoor silver medalist Andrew Pozzi in 13.45s.
The women’s 100m hurdles went to Briton Olympic Trials winner Cindy Sember in 12.69s ahead of USA’s Payton Chadwick who ran 12.75s and Nadine Visser of The Netherlands 12.78s. Jamaican pair Danielle Williams (12.78) and Britany Anderson (12.81) were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Elsewhere, Isaiah Harris of USA took the men’s 800m with 1:44.76, as his fellow countryman Clayton Murphy, the Olympic bronze medalist and 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials champion, faded to sixth in 1:45.72.
Stephenie Ann McPherson added another victory to her name in Europe after the Jamaica Olympic Trials champion went out fast and then cruised home to take the women’s 400m title in 50.44s.
Cuban-born Portuguese jumper Pedro Pichardo won the the men’s triple jump with a mark of 17.50m.
- READ MORE: Asher-Smith pulls out of Gateshead Diamond League
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