Olympic champ Thompson runs 2nd fastest 200m of year

Tonight’s race is somewhat of a rerun of the Olympic final with Lynsey Sharp, Melissa Bishop, Joanna Jozwik, Kate Grace and Maryna Arzamasava, finalists in Rio, also part of the lineup.

In the absence of South Africa’s Olympic champion and 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk, who is at home resting after his Rio exertions, the diamond for the one-lap race looks set to be claimed by Olympic bronze medallist LaShawn Merritt after the American won in a time of 44.64. Culson had been a medal favourite at the Games but was disqualified for a false start in the final.

She went on to win the Diamond League two-lap races in Doha, Rabat, Rome and Monaco before making history as the first black South African woman to win an Olympic title in Rio last month.

Jamaican Elaine Thompson stamped her seal of authority on the women’s 200m at Zurich’s Diamond League meet on Thursday, but hopes of world record tilts from Kendra Harrison and Ruth Jebet came to nothing.

Schippers of the Netherlands timed 21.86, the second-fastest of her career, after tying up in the final strides when Thompson surged. “I have not been home since Rio and I am longing to get home to Jamaica”.

Olympic pole vault silver medallist Renaud Lavillenie suffered his second Diamond League defeat to Sam Kendricks in the space of a week, but had masses to spare as he maintained his record as the only athlete to have won the Diamond Race trophy in their event on every occasion since the competition began in 2010.

Brazilian Olympic champion Thiago Braz da Silva finished third, and fifth in the overall standings.

Asafa Powell, 33, again ran under 10 seconds to win the men’s 100m in 9.94, while Kendra Harrison was the women’s 100m hurdles victor, having set a world record in London in July after failing to qualify for the United States Olympic team.

“I was not ready for the world record this year”, Semenya said. Rowbury’s time of 3:57.78 was her season’s best.

Ruth Beitia was another Olympic champion sweeping the board as her overall high jump victory, a formality, was closed off with a win on the night as she cleared 1.96m.

Brittney Reese of the USA took the long jump honors at 6.95 to reverse her Olympic result with gold medalist Ivana Spanovic of Serbia.