Thomas-Dodd smashes national shot put record with 19.77m
Danniel Thomas-Dodd smashed her national record in the women’s shot put after she threw 19.77m for third place at the United States of America LA Grand Prix at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Thomas-Dodd was one of four Jamaican winners at the two-day meet that started Friday night as sprinter Ackeem Blake won the men’s 100m in a new personal best 9.89 seconds (1.0m/s) and Sean Bailey also set a new lifetime best 44.43 seconds to win the men’s 400m.
On Friday, Traves Smikle had won the men’s discus throw with 67.07m.
Thomas-Dodd broke her previous best of 19.55m that she set at the Pan American Games in Lima in 2019 as she climbed to third in the world rankings.
American Maggie Ewan won the event with a personal best and world-leading 20.45m, while her compatriot Chase Ealey was second with 19.98m
Blake broke into the Jamaican all-time top 10 in the men’s 100m after he blazed to 9.89 seconds (1.0m/s) under his previous best 9.93 seconds set last year and rose to number four in the world.
He is eighth all time on the Jamaican list, just above Nickel Ashmead, as he beat American Cravont Charleston who ran a personal best 9.91 seconds with Christian Coleman third, also with 9.91 seconds. Another Jamaican Ryiem Forde was seventh in 10.11 seconds in a personal best time.
Bailey lowered his previous best of 44.70 seconds set in Texas in March to jump from 15th to fifth all time on the Jamaican list.
He beat a strong field with former World and Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada second in a season’s best 44.50 seconds and American Quincy Hall third in 45.09 seconds, his best for the season so far.
On Friday, Smikle beat his training partner Fedrick Dacres, who was second with 64.51m, with Alex Rose of Samoa third with 64.03m.
Shadae Lawrence was sixth in the women’s event with 59.44m.
Alana Reid finished third in the women’s 100m on Saturday, running 11.08 seconds (0.2m/s) after she had run 11.12 seconds (0.8m/s) in the first round.