Kaliese Spencer sparkles in elite group of Diamond League winners
Jamaica’s most successful Diamond League winner 400m hurdler Kaliese Spencer is among three females who have secured the Diamond Trophy in four of the five years since the inception in 2010.
Spencer, 28, won the 400 hurdles Diamond Race in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2014, the same as shot putter Valerie Adams of New Zealand and Milcah Chemos of Kenya who dominated the 3000m steeple chase event.
Spencer has 18 victories in the 400m hurdles, which is the third highest behind Adams with 24 and discus thrower Sandra Perkovic of Croatia with 21 wins in a single event.
Spencer also has the most appearance in a single Diamond League single discipline of 32 times and rattled up the second most points of all time with 109. Adams has 126 points over the five years. Spencer is also the Diamond League record holder with 52.79 seconds over the 400 hurdles set in London in 2011.
Veronica Campbell-Brown’s 21.98 clocking over the 200m in 2010 in the only other female record for Jamaica.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has three trophies from two disciplines to her name having won the 100m event twice in 2012 and 2013 and the 200m also in 2013. American Allyson Felix won the 200 and 400 titles in 2010 and the 200m in 2014 for three titles as is Carmilter Jeter (100m, 200m).
Botswana’s Amantle Montsho in the 400m and American Dawn Harper-Nelson in the 100m hurldes are triple champions also.
On the men’s side, only four person have won the Diamond League Trophy in Asafa Powell (100m, 2011), Usain Bolt (100m, 2012), Nickel Ashmeade (200m, 2012) and Warren Weir (200m, 2013).
Bolt’s has a combined 15 victories in both the 100 and 200m and is second to pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie of France with 23 wins. Lavillenie is the only person to win a trophy every year since the inception.
American Reese Hoffa with 14 shot put wins is third overall ahead of Kenya’s 800m runner David Rudisha with 13 victories.
Bolt’s 9.76 done in Rome in 2012 is the 100m Diamnod League record, while Yoahn’s Blake stunning 19.26 in 2011 is the 200m record.
— Howard Walker
