Thompson wins, advantage Kendricks in pole vault
Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson, the reigning double Olympic sprint champion, put on the afterburners in the final 20 metres to rack up a convincing victory at Saturday’s Diamond League meet in Paris.
Thompson clocked 10.91 seconds to finish ahead of Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou (10.96sec), with Nigerian Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor claiming third (11.09).
The Jamaican’s time was well short of the world’s leading best of 10.71sec she set at last month’s national championships in Kingston, but she looks in good, understated form going into the August 4-13 world championships in London, where she will focus on the blue riband event.
“The result is not bad, especially after two false starts,” said Thompson. “This was great preparation for the world championships.
“Coming straight from the Jamaican trials, it was important to get back in the blocks, to stay focused and get as much rest as possible.
“At the moment, I’m exactly where I want to be, feeling good, feeling excited with one month to go to the world champs.”
There was no joy for 41-year-old Kim Collins in the men’s 100m, the St Kitts and Nevis veteran who won the 2003 world championships in Paris disqualified for a false start. Ivorian Youssef Meite eventually ran out the winner in 9.99sec.
American Sam Kendricks, bronze medallist at the Rio Games, scored a psychological blow over French rival Renaud Lavillenie with victory in the men’s pole vault.
Hendricks won the US championships with his first vault over 6m and racked up a best of 5.82m in the French capital, Lavillenie having failed three times at 5.77m and ending the night with just one successful vault, at 5.62.
Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet, who competes for Bahrain, set last year’s Paris meeting alight by sprinting away for a world record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase just six days after winning gold in the Rio Olympics.
Although a new tilt at the world record had been mooted, there was to be no such repeat performance in balmy conditions at the Stade Charlety, Jebet coming in fourth as Beatrice Chepkoech led home a Kenyan podium sweep in 9:01.69.
– Barshim trumps Bondarenko –
Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim underlined his credentials as current undisputed world number one by winning the men’s high jump with a best of 2.35m, the Olympic silver medallist beating off competition from Ukraine’s Bohdan Bondarenko (2.32m).
“All’s going according to plan and my coach is satisfied with my recent situation,” said Barshim.
“I wanted to jump even higher but I don’t know what hapened — I started to feel some pain so I just did not want to take a risk. There’ll be no limits for me in London.”
Germany’s Olympic champion Thomas Roehler, with a best of 87.23, was upstaged in the men’s javelin by teammate Johannes Vetter (88.74m), with Czech Jakub Vadlejch in second.
There was a similar upset in the men’s 110m hurdles, Jamaica’s Olympic champion Omar McLeod trailing in last in 13.41sec, teammate Ronald Levy claiming a surprise victory in a personal best of 13.05sec.
There were no such troubles for double Olympic champion Christian Taylor, however, the American winning the triple jump with 17.29m from teammate Will Claye (17.18).
The women’s 1500m saw Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Sifan Hassan notch up her third victory of the season in 3:57.10, Kenyan Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon in second at 0.41sec.
