STOCKHOLM: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce warmed up for the world championships with a dominant win in the women’s 100 metres on a cool evening at the Stockholm Diamond League here on Thursday.

David Oliver’s last race before his title defence in Beijing wasn’t as successful as the American finished only third in the men’s 110 hurdles in the last league meeting before the worlds start on Aug 22.

Fraser-Pryce, the world and Olympic champion, clocked 10.93 seconds in the headline race at the Stockholm Bauhaus Athletics event to beat Tori Bowie of the US by 0.12 seconds.

“The time wasn’t what I wanted, but I’m grateful I came out here and did my best,” Fraser-Pryce said. “There’s always pressure going into a world championships, but I’m not worried about that. I’m not worried about anything.”

The Jamaican also reiterated her stance that she won’t defend her 200 title at the worlds, a day after hinting she may change her mind and run both distances.

“In Beijing, I’m not running the 200. I’m telling my coach he has to change my mind,” she said. “The 200 is too far, so I’m set for the 100.”

On a chilly night and on a track still wet from earlier rains at Stockholm’s Olympic Stadium -- which was used for the 1912 games -- the meet offered little in terms of top times and performances.

In the most competitive event, featuring four of the top five runners of the season, Orlando Ortega of Cuba won the 110 hurdles in 13.18 seconds. Sergey Shubenkov of Russia was 0.04 seconds back in second, with Oliver another 0.02 seconds behind in third. Jason Richardson, the 2011 world champion, was fourth.

Oliver said the performance wasn’t anything to worry about as he was still tired from flying in from Toronto on Monday.

“I did my best, it wasn’t good enough today. I just have go get focused and ready for the worlds,” Oliver said. “I get over things very quickly. I don’t spend much time dwelling on the negatives. This race was what it was, now it’s time to go back and get the job done in a month’s time out in Beijing.”

Qatar’s high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim also had a disappointing evening. Barshim, who has cleared a world-leading 2.41 this season, hoped to challenge Patrik Sjoberg’s stadium record of 2.42 from 1987 but went out on 2.32. Jacorian Duffield of the US was the only jumper to clear that height for the win.

In the women’s 400 hurdles, world champion Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic won her third straight Diamond League race by narrowly holding off a late charge from Sara Peterson of Denmark. Hejnova clocked 54.37 to win by 0.05 seconds.

In the afternoon session, world champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia won the women’s triple jump with a leap of 14.69 metres, and Piotr Malachowski of Poland took the men’s discus as both extended their lead in the Diamond Race standings.

It was Ibarguen’s 28th straight victory overall, and she is assured of the season-long Diamond Race title if she competes in the final event in Brussels on Sept 11.

Other winners included Greg Rutherford of Britain in the men’s long jump, Katie Mackey of the US in the women’s 3,000, Alonso Edward of Panama in the men’s 200, and Renelle Lamote of France in the women’s 800.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2015

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