GOAL #1
Broadbell eyes Jamaican 110m Hurdles record after Diamond League victory
Rasheed Broadbell has set his sights on Omar McLeod’s 110m hurdles Jamaican record of 12.90 seconds and says it might come as early as next year.
The Paris Olympic Games bronze medallist gained a measure of revenge in the high hurdles after he won the event at the Athletissima, the 11th Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season, at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in Switzerland on Thursday. He ran 13.10 seconds (-0.1m/s) to beat Olympic champion Grant Holloway (13.14) of the United States and another Jamaican, the Tokyo Games champion Hansle Parchment, who was third in 13.23.
Broadbell, who was winning in Lausanne, Switzerland, for the second time and claiming his third Diamond League race victory, is the third-fastest Jamaican in the 110m hurdles. Ahead of him are McLeod, who is tied for seventh of best all-time, and Hansle Parchment (12.94).
“My eyes are set on breaking [the] national record next year and I have a specific target in mind. When you get there you’ll see,” Broadbell said during a post-race interview.
“It’s a pleasure to come here and put on a show, and I think I did that today. Even though I ran 13.10 here compared to 13.09 in Paris, the race felt better because I knew I had it after the last hurdle. I could have run faster if I pushed through the tape but I’m satisfied,” the Commonwealth Games champion added.
Parchment said he has been struggling from before he went to Paris to defend the Olympic Games sprint hurdles title.
“I came to Lausanne just aiming to make it through, especially since I hadn’t been feeling great leading up to the Olympics. I’m learning as I go, identifying the issues I need to work on, and focusing on improving.
“My technique fell apart a bit at the end, but I’m definitely going to work on maintaining it all the way to the line. Competing here is awesome — the energy in the stadium is electrifying, and the support from the crowd really pushes us to give our best,” Parchment said.
While Broadbell was the only Jamaican winner on the day, there were runner-up spots for Rushell Clayton in the women’s 400m hurdles and Wayne Pinnock in the men’s long jump.
Clayton, who was one of several Jamaicans going into the meet with the aim of making up for disappointment in Paris, got off to a fast start but was caught at the ninth hurdle by Femke Bol of the Netherlands. Clayton (53.32) had to settle for second as the Dutchwoman lowered her own meet record to 52.25.
“This was my first race since the Olympics and I just wanted to see how my body feels,” Clayton said. “It felt really good, so I’m looking forward to the next race in a few days. My goal for next year is simple: Run fast!”
Jamaicans Janieve Russell (54.48) and Andrenette Knight (54.93) were third and fourth, respectively, in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Pinnock, who was making his Diamond League debut, was beaten into second, in the final round of the men’s long jump by Olympic Games and World Champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece.
Tentoglou produced an 8.06m (0.7m/s) effort on his final attempt, which moved him from third to first. Pinnock jumped 8.01m (-0.2m/s), while his coountry men Tajay Gayle, who recorded 7.92m (-0.2m/s), and Carey McLeod, who registered a best of 7.82m (-0.4m/s), were fourth and seventh, respectively.
Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, another Diamond League debutante, ran well to take third in the 100m hurdles with 12.38 (-0.9m/s), behind Jasmine Camacho Quinn of Puerto Rico, who ran a season’s best equalling 12.35 for victory. American Grace Stark, credited with the same time as the Jamaican, was second.
“The last few moments were really special because it was my first Diamond League since turning professional, and being around all the girls, everyone was so supportive and it just felt great,” Nugent said. “My anxiety and nerves disappeared because I was with good people, which helped me [to] give my best today, and yes, that’s exactly what I did.”
Jamaica’s two-time World Champion Danielle Williams placed fifth in 12.53.
Another Jamaican, Olympic Games finalist Tia Clayton, was fifth in the women’s 100m in 11.10 (-0.4m/s), as Dina Asher-Smith built on a brilliant start to win in a season’s best 10.88. Asher-Smith beat American Tamari Davis (10.97) and Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (11.06).
Many-time Jamaican champion Natoya Goule-Toppin finished seventh in the women’s 800m, running 1:59.68 minutes. Kenya’s Mary Moraa won in 1:57.91, ahead of Britons Georgia Bell (1:58.53) and Jemma Reekie (1:58.73).
Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd was fifth in the women’s shot put with 18.78m on her only legal mark. Two-time world champion Chase Jackson of the United States, who failed to get past the first round in Paris, won with a season’s best throw of 20.64m to win. Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunyele of Germany was second with 19.55m and world leader Sarah Mitton of Canada, who was 12th in Paris, placed third with 19.52m.
Lamara Distin of Jamaica was seventh in the women’s high jump with a best of 1.88m, getting just two clearances in the competition.