CHORZOW: US sprint star Sha’Carri Richardson reeled in Jamaican Shericka Jackson to claim a morale-boosting victory in the women’s 100m at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday.

Richardson and Jackson went into the race as their countries’ recently-crowned national champions, the Jamaican having run 10.65 seconds in Kingston to go fifth in the all-time list.

In hot, steamy conditions in the Polish city of Chorzow, Jackson swept away on the coattails of fast-starting home favourite Eva Swoboda before taking the lead at the halfway mark.

Richardson then put on the after burners, coming through the line in 10.76sec for a stunning victory just a month away from the world championships in Budapest. Jackson was second in 10.78 with the Pole rounding out the podium (10.94).

“The 10.76 — I love the time. I put a great race together,” said Richardson. “This was a great competition, it was amazing. I executed correctly.” Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen earlier set a sensational European record of 3:27.14 in the men’s 1500m, edging ever closer to Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record of 3:26.00.

Aided by two pacemakers, the 22-year-old Norwegian was never troubled as the first eight finishers all set personal bests.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine held his form perfectly to claim a memorable win in the men’s 100m in 9.97sec.

Simbine beat world champion Fred Kerley into second, on 9.98sec in a photo finish with third-placed Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon.

Newly-crowned US champion Cravont Charleston was fourth in 9.99sec.

It was Kerley’s first defeat of the season in track’s blue riband event, but the American seemed unfazed by the result.

“I feel good about today’s race. Nothing was missing. I got my job done,” he said.

Simbine added: “I won against all of them, not only against the world champion.

“I am the first to beat Fred this year, we have a good friendship, a good rivalry. I am very satisfied with my performance and hope to continue my good form.”

Simbine’s team-mate Wayde van Niekerk confirmed his early-season form by scorching to an impressive victory in the men’s 400m, the world record holder clocking 44.08sec.

“It is my fastest run in seven years and 44.0 shows that 43 seconds is possible,” said Van Niekerk, who has been beset by injury problems since winning Olympic gold in Rio in 2016.

Nigeria’s world record holder Tobi Amusan set a new meeting record of 12.34sec when winning a loaded 100m hurdles race.

Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco won the men’s 3000m steeplechase in 8:03.16 for his ninth consecutive victory and third Diamond League win of the season.

And Venezuela’s Olympic champion and three-time world gold medallist Yulimar Rojas leaped a world leading distance of 15.18m when winning the women’s triple jump.

By the time pole vault king Mondo Duplantis had soared over the bar twice, at 5.61 and 5.81m, only Americans Sam Henricks and Christopher Nilsen were left in the competition, the rest of the field having bombed out.

The US-born Swede was the sole vaulter to clear 6.01m, which turned out to be the winning height after he failed three times at 6.13m.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2023