Reigning Olympic Games 110m hurdles gold medallist Omar McLeod ran his fastest time in four years yesterday when he set the new world lead in his pet event, clocking a scintillating 13.01 seconds (-0.1m/s) to equal the meet record at the Golden Gala Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy.

In an almost flawless display of sprint hurdling, the athlete who has been referred to as “Mr Silk” dominated the race from start to finish and improved on his previous season’s best 13.08 seconds that he ran to win in Hengelo, Holland, on Sunday.

The time equalled the meet record held set by American Allen Johnson in 1999 and also passed American Grant Holloway on his way to the top of the World Athletics rankings, McLeod’s fastest time since he ran 12.96 seconds in 2017, the same year he set the Jamaican national record of 12.90 seconds.

“It feels good to be winning again. I am having fun again,” he was quoted as saying following the race.

He added on social media, “Ya boy is catching some rhythm.com” maybe alluding to the technical consistency the event requires. “So grateful. Thank you all for the continuous support. Nuff love,” he ended.

Great Britain’s Andrew Pozzi was second in 13.25 seconds and France’s Wilhem Belocian third in 13.31 seconds, both season best marks.

Also yesterday, Megan Tapper, the other Jamaican representative at the meet, was fourth in the 100m hurdles in 12.94 seconds (-0.8m/s) as world leader Jasmine Camacho-Quinn set a meet record 12.38 seconds.

She broke the previous record 12.39 seconds set in 1980 by Russian Vera Komisova.

— Paul Reid