ROME: Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo outstripped Christian Coleman to win the 100m in impressive style at the Diamond League meeting in Rome on Friday.

Tebogo, the newly-crowned Olympic 200m champion, clocked 9.87 seconds for the victory, the 21-year-old having eased up and looked over at his rivals well before the finish line.

“This was one of my best 100m races,” the Botswanan said. “Today, I had a great start and it made me think ‘Why did I not have one like this in the Olympic final?’”

Coleman, who failed to make the US team for the Paris Games, came in second in 9.92sec, with Paris bronze medallist Fred Kerley again in third (9.95).

Home favourite Marcell Jacobs, who won a shock gold in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021 and came in fifth in Paris, looked to be struggling as he finished ninth and last in 10.20sec.

“Tonight I could not run faster than that,” said Jacobs. “The race was not how I wanted it to be and I also did not want to risk an injury. I am not happy about this result, but it was really great to run here in Rome, in front of this wonderful home crowd.”

A high-quality field at the Stadio Olimpico, already host to a memorable European championships in June — when Jacobs defended his continental 100m crown, promised a couple of world records in danger.

But it proved not to be on the night.

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who became the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic 1,500m titles in Paris, won the event in 3min 52.89sec.

That might have been faster, and closer to her own world record, had it not been for botched pace setting.

“The world record was not for today with the Olympics only two weeks ago,” Kipyegon said.

Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi went within a whisper of setting a new world record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, running the second fastest time ever.

The Kenyan-born runner clocked an electric 8:44.39, a faltering jump off the last hurdle meaning she finished just seven-hundredths of a second off Beatrice Chepkoech’s record set back in 2018.

“I looked at the time after the race and I went ‘Oh, no!’” said Yavi, who won gold in Paris in an Olympic record. “...was really expecting that record and I was going for it. I definitely feel I should break it and I believe it will happen.”

American shot put star Ryan Crouser, whose gold at the Paris Games was a record third consecutive in the discipline, won with a best of 22.49m, a meet record.

But his fellow Olympic champion Roje Stona of Jamaica, whom Crouser coaches, could only come in second in the men’s discus as Slovenian Kristjan Ceh claimed victory with his final throw of 68.61m.

Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent, who failed to finish the Olympic final, stormed to a world lead of 12.24sec to win the 100m hurdles ahead of the Paris winner Masai Russell of the US.

But Russell’s teammate Tara Woodhall-Davis, whose husband Hunter is currently taking part in the Paralympics, won the long jump with a best of 7.02m.

And more American success came via Anna Cockrell, the Olympic silver medallist winning the 400m hurdles in 52.59sec.

Woodhall-Davis, who won Olympic gold with a best of 7.10m, said she would return direct to Paris on Friday.

“I just want to see my husband Hunter Woodhall race there,” she said, the pair having gone viral on social media since her success — and his unadulterated support — in Paris.

“I am excited just to see what he puts down.

“I want to put my full attention on Hunter. Then we have some press interviews back home and after that we will go on a holiday at Las Vegas.”

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2024