Carter clocks 9.85 – J’can posts PB behind Gay at Diamond League finale
BEIJING Olympics relay gold medallist Jamaican Nesta Carter put on another impressive performance to lower his personal best (PB) for the second time in as many weeks posting 9.85 seconds for the runner-up spot in the men’s 100m at the final IAAF Diamond League meet of the season in Bruxelles, Belgium yesterday.
Carter, who had already lowered his PB from 9.91 seconds to 9.86 in Switzerland on August 8, became the seventh fastest man in history when he finished behind Tyson Gay, who streamed to victory in 9.79 with a +0.1 m/s wind to claim the Diamond League prize of US$40,000.
This run and the one previous makes the diminutive Carter the third fastest Jamaican over the distance behind Usain Bolt who has the fastest time of 9.59 seconds and Asafa Powell 9.72.
Another Jamaican, Yohan Blake, who has also been pressing the accelerator button this season, finished third in 9.91 seconds.
Another Jamaican Mario Forysthe clocked 10.12 for sixth, while two-time World Junior champion Dexter Lee’s time of 10.21 was only good enough for eighth of nine competitors.
Carter was elated with his performance.
“Yeah, yeah PB, personal best! That is what I have been working for. I did what my coach had been telling me and my first 50 or 60 metres were good. I am happy to keep moving up the list and I am now the seventh fastest man in the history of the world,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jamaican Allodin Fothergill posted 45.44 for third in the men’s 400m, won by Costa Rica’s Nery Brenes (44.92) and home boy Jonathan Borlee (45.27).
Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) champion Dorian Scott threw 19.20m for a seventh place finish in the men’s shot put. The event went to the USA’s Reese Hoffa with a throw of 22.16m.
In the women’s 300m, Jmaican Korene Hinds was last in 9:54.37, while compatriot Mardrea Hyman did not finish.
Meanwhile, 800m world champion Caster Semenya, in her fourth race since an 11-month lay-off due to an investigation into her gender, finished third in a season’s best 1:59.65 minutes behind Kenya’s Janeth Jepkosgei, who won in 1:58.82 minutes.
Of the 16 events up for grabs yesterday, eight had already been decided: Bershawn Jackson (USA/400m hurdles), Christian Cantwell (USA/shot), Renaud Lavillenie (FRA/pole vault) and Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR/javelin), Allyson Felix (USA/200m), Blanka Vlasic (CRO/high jump), Milcah Chemos (KEN/3000m steeple) and Yarelis Barrios (CUB/discus).
