ZURICH – Julien Alfred wrote her name in the record books yet again when she delivered a commanding performance to win the women’s Diamond League 100 metre title for the second straight year in Switzerland on Thursday.
The 24-year-old Saint Lucian sprint queen and Olympic champion showed little signs of rust in her first competitive race in over a month, storming across the finish line at the Letzigrund Stadium in 10.76 seconds to claim gold.
In doing so, she became just the fourth woman to win back-to-back Diamond League 100m titles, behind American Carmelita Jeter (2010, 2011) and Jamaicans Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (2012, 2013) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (2016 and 2017).
Jamaica’s Tia Clayton grabbed silver in 10.84 seconds and Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith claimed bronze in 10.94 seconds.
Clayton missed out on a wild card berth to next month’s World Athletics Championships, as she needed to win after failing to make the team directly at the Jamaica National Championships.
Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith of the Ivory Coast was disqualified after a false start.
With next month’s World Championships around the corner, Alfred said she still believes she can improve on her performance.
“I feel like there is more work to be done. It is my first race back in five weeks, so it is like one step forward to me.
“I am not thinking about the time. It was about putting up the first and the second part. Now, I am working on little things before Tokyo,” Alfred said.
Meanwhile, Ackeem Blake, failed in his bid to win back-to-back Diamond League titles, finishing third in the men’s 100 metres in 9.99 seconds, behind winner American Christian Coleman (9.97) and South Africa’s Akani Simbine (9.98).
Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight finished a commendable third in the women’s 400 metre hurdles in 53.76 seconds.
World leader Femke Bol set a new meet record of 52.18 seconds, while Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova ran a national record 53.18 seconds for second place.
Fellow Jamaicans Jordan Scott was fourth in the triple jump men, Shanieka Ricketts was fifth in the women’s triple jump, Romaine Beckford placed fourth in the men’s high jump and Orlando Bennett finished seventh in the 110m hurdles.
CMC
