(Video)Thompson blitzes Asher-Smith, Norman stuns Lyles in Rome Diamond League

Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson dominated the women’s 100 metres at the Diamond League meet in Rome to beat Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith as Michael Norman inflicted the first defeat on fellow American Noah Lyles over 200m in nearly three years.

Jamaican Thompson powered on late to pull clear of her rivals clocking a world leading 10.89sec at the Olympic Stadium.

Asher-Smith crossed second in 10.94sec with American Aleia Hobbs, winner in Shanghai, third in 11.12sec.

Thompson, the Olympic champion in the 100m and 200m, had been stunned by Asher-Smith over the same distance in Stockholm last week with the Briton also winning in Doha in May.

 

But this time it was 23-year-old Asher-Smith who was taken by surprise.

“The race wasn’t what I expected, although I had a really fast start which is good,” said triple European champion Asher-Smith, who was making her debut this season over 100m.

“Opening the season with sub 11 seconds isn’t bad at all, especially when I’m still feeling a little rusty,” she said.

“I’m going to continue to listen to my coach and train hard so I perform well at the world championships later this year,” added the Briton as she looks towards worlds in Doha in September.

Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou, a double 100m and 200m silver medallist at the 2017 worlds in London, finished fourth in 11.14 for her first international appearance of the year.

Norman, 21, got off to a blistering start and held on despite a late surge by Lyles, also 21, to achieve a world leading time for the season of 19.70sec.

Lyles, winner of the past two Diamond League trophies over the 200m distance, posted 19.72sec, with Ecuador’s Alex Quinonez a distant third in 20.17sec.

Lyles had not been beaten since the US trials in July 2016 which saw him fail to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

Since then he has claimed nine straight victories and dominated the Diamond League in 2018 and a year earlier, but missed the world championships in 2017 due to an injury.

 

– Dibaba outpaces Muir –

In the 1500m, Ethiopian world record holder Genzebe Dibaba beat European champion Laura Muir of Scotland to set a worldwide season’s best 3min 56.28sec.

Dibaba accelerated with 600 metres to go with Muir the only competitor to keep pace, finishing in 3min 56.73 with Ethopia’s Gudaf Tsegay third in 3min 59.96.

The United States went 1-2 in both the men’s and women’s 400 metres hurdles.

Rai Benjamin won the men’s race with a season’s best 47.58sec, ahead of David Kenziera (48.99sec) with Japan’s Abe Takathoshi third (49.57sec).

 

Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad clocked 53.67sec to win the women’s 400m hurdles ahead of compatriot Little Shamier (54.40sec) and Czech Zuzana Hejnova 54.82sec.

 

European long jump champion Malaika Mihambo broke the seven metres mark for the first time in her career with a wind-assisted 7.07 metres (+0.5) leap on her way to victory.

Mihambo pulled out the jump on her fourth attempt to become the first woman this year to break the symbolic seven-metre mark, with the longest jump in two years.

The 25-year-old finished ahead of Olympic triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen (6.87m) of Colombia and former Olympic and four-time world champion Brittney Reese (6.76m) of the United States.

Poland’s Konrad Kukowieczki won the shot put with a new meet record of 21.97 metres, breaking the mark which had been achieved in Rome nine years ago.

American Darrell Hill came second with his final throw of 21.71m with Brazil’s Darlan Romani third (21.68m) and world champion Joe Kovacs of the United States dropping to fourth despite a season’s best 21.46m.

In the long-distance events, Telahun Haile Bekele led an Ethopian sweep of the 5000 metres, ahead of Selemon Barega and Hagos Gebrhiwet.

 

China’s Lyu Huihui won the women’s javelin throw, in the fourth leg of the IAAF series.

The 29-year-old Asian record holder and world bronze medallist threw a best of 66.47 metres to finish ahead of Turkey’s Eda Tugusz (64.51m) and Latvia’s Lina Muze (63.72m).

Czech two-time Olympic javelin champion Barbora Spotakova finished seventh as she returns following the birth of her second child last year.

World champion Spotakova, 37, set the world record of 72.28 metres back in 2008.

(AFP)