DREAM START!
Discus thrower Mullings elated with victory on Diamond League debut
Jamaican record holder Ralford Mullings is over the moon after winning in his first-ever Diamond League outing at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium.
Mulling, the national champion, threw 69.66m on Friday during the penultimate leg of the Diamond League series — the two-day final is set for Zurich next week.
A week after his monster 72.01m throw at the Oklahoma Throws Series held at Ramona, Oklahoma, to break Fedrick Dacres Jamaican record of 70.78m set in 2019, Mullings had two throws over the 69.40m mark. He threw 69.41m to take the lead in the fourth round.
Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania, the world record holder and world leader, was second with 68.82m, while Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh was third with 67.13m.
The NCAA champion Mullings said he is not concerned falling short of the 70-metre mark because his goal had been to finish in the top three places.
“It is my first Diamond League victory, ever! No, it doesn’t bother me that I didn’t make the 70m mark. The goal is always to get on the podium. Whatever distance it takes to get on the podium, I am happy with that,” he said.
After his first win in Europe, Mullings, a student at the University of Oklahoma, could have a decision to make if he is invited to the grand final in Zurich. Making that trip could mean missing the first week of classes in the new school year.
“School starts next week, Monday morning to be more precise. So I have to figure out how I can make it to Zurich if I am qualified,” he noted
In the men’s 400m invitational race, defending World Championships gold medallist Antonio Watson ran a season’s best 44.89 seconds, his first sub-45 second clocking since he surprised the field at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
“It was a great race here in Brussels,” said Watson. “The guys got out off the blocks quickly, just like we said before start. I knew what I had to do and glad to got another race done.”
It was Watson’s third race in August after running 46.07 in Watford, England, on August 6 and 45.21 in Sweden on August 10.
Romaine Beckford was third in the men’s high jump, clearing 2.22m. He had needed only one jump to clear the first three heights before failing at 2.25m.
Oleh Doroshchuk of Ukraine won with 2.25m, the same height cleared by second-placed Thomas Carmoy of Belgium.
Ten-time world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was fourth in the women’s 100m, running 11.17 (-0.2m/s) as American world leader Melissa Jefferson-Wooden extended her unbeaten streak with a 10.76 clocking.
World champion Sha’Carri Richardson was second in 11.08 and Daryll Neita of Great Britain was third in 11.15.
Olympic Games and World Championships medallist Shanieka Ricketts finished fourth in the women’ triple jump with a best of 14.29m (-0.1m/s). She was knocked out of third place by American Jasmine Moore who jumped 14.38m (0.2m/s) in the fifth round, to denying the Jamaican a sixth attempt.
Ackelia Smith was seventh with 13.97m as Cuba’s world leader Leyanis Perez-Hernandez won with 14.78m (0.0m/s), ahead of her compatriot Davisleydi Velazco with a personal best 14.72m (-0.1m/s).
Andrenette Knight was well placed in the women’s 400m hurdles before hitting the final barrier to finish fourth with 54.40.
American Anna Cockrell won with 53.66 while Panama’s Gianna Woodruff ran a season’s best 53.89 for second. Naomi vab den Broeck set a Belgian record 54.12 for third place.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd placed fifth in the women’s shot put with 18.92m.
From left: Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce contest the women’s 100m during the Diamond League athletics meeting at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday. Photo: AFP
Romaine Beckford competes in the men’s high jump during the Diamond League athletics meeting at King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday. (Photo: AFP)
Antonio Watson (Photo: Observer file)
