MONTEGO BAY, St James — Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Warren Weir both won Diamond trophies as the IAAF Diamond League season came to an end in the final of the 14-meet schedule at the Van Damme Memorial in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday.
It was the third diamond in two years for Fraser-Pryce, who capped a stupendous season by retaining the 100m title with a brilliant and well executed meet record of 10.72 seconds (-0.3 m/s), while Weir made the best of a ‘gift’ presented to him by Racers Track Club teammate Usain Bolt when he took the 200m title, his first, by holding off compatriot Nickel Ashmeade to win the event in 19.87 seconds (-0,2m/s).Bolt, meanwhile, made a mockery of a deep men’s 100m field with a powerful run over the second half to win in 9.80 seconds (+0.6m/s), a full tenth of a second over American Mike Rodgers, who ran a season’s best 9.90 seconds, while World Championships bronze medallist Nesta Carter had yet another sub-10-second run this season (9.94 seconds) for third.Bolt, the World Championships triple gold medallist, looked better than he did a week ago in Zurich, but still had a modest start and had to rely on his superior second half to blow past a strong field that had six of the men who lined up in the final in Moscow three weeks ago.Justin Gatlin, the World Championships silver medallist, ended up fourth in 9.94 seconds, just ahead of Kemar Bailey-Cole’s 9.98 seconds.Fraser-Pryce, who last week secured the 200m diamond, had promised in Moscow she would be going after a sub-10.70-second timing, given some rest.She got off to a blazing fast start and won with a clear margin, just missing going under the 10.70-second mark, but ran her second fastest time of the season, just slower than her 10.71-second set while winning the event in Moscow. It was also her fourth time under 10.75 seconds.American Alexandria Anderson was second ahead of two Jamaicans — Carrie Russell, who was off to a fast start and finished with 10.99 seconds, her second time under the 11.00sec barrier, with Kerron Stewart fourth in 11.19 seconds.Weir was bumped up to the lead in the Diamond Race after Bolt switched to the 100m, but had to finish in the top two to ensure the US$40,000 prize and did his part with a workman-like win.Ashmeade, who won the diamond last year, ran a season’s best 19.93 seconds, but tied up late in the race after he led coming into the straight after a good curve.Another Jamaican, Rasheed Dwyer, was sixth in 20.40 seconds.Olympic and World Championships finalist Kimberly Williams equalled her best ever Diamond League finish with second place with 14.34m (+1.5m/s) behind diamond winner Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia, who won with 14.49m (1.1m/s).Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from Jamaica wins the women’s 100 metres at the Diamond League Memorial Van Damme athletics event, at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium yesterday.Jamaica’s Usain Bolt wins the men’s 100 metres at the Diamond League Memorial Van Damme athletics event, at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium yesterday. (PHOTOS: AP)View the original article here
Fraser-Pryce, Bolt, Weir lead J"can victories in Brussels
