Ricketts soars to season’s best at Monaco Diamond League
Despite a season’s best 14.67m (1.3m/s), Shanieka Ricketts was one of three Jamaicans who placed fourth in their respective events in Friday’s Herculis Meeting International d’Athletisime in Monaco, the ninth stop on the Diamond League series.
Malik James-King continued his break-out season when he ran under 48.00 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles for the second time, while Andrew Hudson also finished just off the podium in the men’s 200m.
National champion Rasheed Broadbell was scheduled to contest the 110m hurdles but did not show up.
Ricketts surpassed her previous season best 14.58m. She finished ahead of compatriot Ackelia Smith (14.30m), with Cuba’s Diamond League leader Leyanis Perez-Hernandez winning as her season’s best 14.96m was attained in the fifth round.
World Indoor champion Thea Lafond of Dominica was second with 14.87m (1.3m/s) with Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk of the Ukraine third with 14.81m (2.0m/s), both also the best efforts this season.
James-King did well to place fourth in the men’s 400m hurdles with 47.73 seconds behind three of the fastest men ever in the history of the event.
American world leader Rai Benjamin won in 46.67, ahead of world record holder and world champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, who ran 46.73, and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos (47.18).
Two-time Jamaican champion Hudson ran 20.43 (0.6m/s) in the men’s 200m that was won in consummate ease by Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo in 19.87 seconds. Alexander Ogando (20.02) of the Dominican Republic and Tarsis Gracious (20.32) Orogot of Uganda.Australian Jessica Hull ran a world record 5:19.70 minutes in the rarely run 2,000m. Her time was under the previous record of 5:21.56 set by Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi.