PARIS – Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah returned to winning ways on Saturday after the Jamaican dominated another strong lineup when clocking a meeting record of 10.72 seconds to top the women’s 100 meters at the Paris Diamond League meeting.
Her time bettered the previous meeting record of 10.74sec, which was set by compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 2015.
READ MORE: Fatigue Fraser-Pryce pulls out of Paris Diamond League meet
Thompson-Herah, the second-fastest woman in history at 10.54sec, ran 10.64sec for second place to Fraser-Pryce in Lausanne, but she returned to win comfortably in France ahead of her countrywoman Shericka Jackson with the Olympic bronze medalist upgrading to second place this time out.
Fraser-Pryce, the Olympic silver medalist and third-fastest woman in history with a personal best of 10.60secs, which she used to defeat Thompson-Herah in Lausanne, on Thursday, did not race on Saturday after admitting to feeling “very tired.”
World 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith ran 11.06sec for third place while Jamaica’s Natasha Morrison was fourth in 11.09sec.
Fred Kerley Pips Kenneth Bednarek
Meanwhile, in the men’s 200 meters, USA’s Fred Kerley posted a new personal best of 19.79secs to edge out countryman Kenneth Bednarek at the line with the Olympic silver medalist also running the same time for second place.
The pair come off the corner close to each other and then battled closely down the final straight before Kerley held his form to out-lean his teammate for the victory.
“Nice PB, but still I have a lot to do,” Kerley said after his narrow win and improving his previous lifetime best from 19.90sec.
“I think the 200m is harder than people think, more technical. I like to beat anybody. If they beat me, I like to beat them too.”
Canadian Aaron Brown was third in 20.20sec.
The women’s 3000m saw Burundian runner Francine Niyonsaba clocking a world-leading, national and meeting record time of 8:19.08 for the win.
Niyonsaba took control about midway through the race but kept something in reserve which she used to respond to the late challenge of Ejgayehu Taye, who eventually went on to set an Ethiopian record of 8:19.52 for second place.
With her winning performance this weekend, Niyonsaba moves to the fifth-fastest all-time in the women’s 3000m.
Interestingly, only five women in history had broken 8:20.00 for the women’s 3000m prior to today’s race.
Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi of Kenya was third in 8:21.53.
