Jamaica Athletics Invitational 2024: World lead for Tobi Amusan as Zharnel Hughes upstages Americans in men's 200m
Nigerian's 100m hurdles world record holder Tobi Amusan stole the spotlight at the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational on Saturday (11 May).
Amusan ran a world-leading time of 12.40 seconds in Kingston to win from home favourite and reigning world champion Danielle Williams (12.46) with USA's Christina Clemens third in 12.54s.
The women’s 100m belonged to another African, Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith, who was the only athlete inside 11 seconds. The sprinter from Cote d'Ivoire posted the third-fastest time in the world this year, 10.91, to beat Jamaica’s Krystal Sloley (11.09) into second place.
Former 100m world champions Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman came into the meet looking to build on their early season form in the men’s 200m.
But Anguilla-born British sprinter Zharnel Hughes had other ideas as he won the half-lap sprint in a season’s best 19.96. Kerley was second in 20.17 with Coleman finishing down in fifth in 20.46.
There was another world lead in the women's 400m hurdles as Rushell Clayton just got the better of USA's Anna Cockrell. The Jamaican clocked 53.72, four-hundredths ahead of Cockrell.
Dina Asher-Smith wins 200m, Jamaicans secure triple jump double
Former world champion Dina Asher-Smith had to work hard to secure the first half of a British 200m double, edging out Cote d'Ivoire's Jessika Gbai.
Asher-Smith dipped to win in 22.51 with Gbai just two-hundredths of a second behind. Jamaica’s Lanae-Tava Thomas rounded out the podium in 22.84.
Daniel Roberts secured another win in the 110m hurdles. The Amerian took victory in 13.17, just outside of his world lead time of 13.11.
In the field, rising Jamaican star Jaydon Hibbert produced a stellar winning leap of 17.57m in the triple jump. Only Andy Díaz Hernández, with 17.61m, has jumped further than the 19-year-old so far this year.
Earlier, compatriot and two-time world silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts won the women’s competition with a best leap of 14.50m. USA's Jasmine Moore (14.28m) was second with Thea Lafond of Dominica (14.22m) in third.
Traves Smikle got the better of fellow Jamaican Fedrick Dacres in the men's discus thanks to a second-round throw of 66.89m. Dacres' best effort was 65.94m in the final round.