National champion and Olympic Games medallist Megan Simmonds says she is where she wants to be mentally, having rediscovered her love for track and field, while dedicating this season to her fans.

Simmonds won her first Diamond League race on Thursday at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Rome, the fourth stop on the global circuit, running a season’s best 12.50 seconds (0.8m/s) to win the 100m hurdles.

Former world record holder Kendra Harrison of the USA, who ran 12.54 seconds was second and Nadine Visser of the Netherlands was third with 12.58 seconds.

Danielle Williams was fifth with a season’s best 12.69 seconds.

Six other Jamaican athletes earned podium places with Orlando Bennett and Jordan Scott finishing second in the 110m hurdles and men’s triple jump respectively; Jaydon Hibbert was third in the men’s triple jump, Nickisha Pryce in the women’s 400m, Rushell Clayton in the women’ 400m hurdles and Romaine Beckford in the men’s high jump.

Simmonds, who got off to her usual fast start and held off a quality field to win, said she was hoping to go even faster noting, “The season is long so we are taking it step by step and day by day. This is for everybody who have told you that you could not do it and who didn’t believe in you.”

The four-time national champion added, “You need to believe in yourself. This season is for my fans. Always, when I step to the start line, I think I have ten opportunities to do well and show what I am capable of. This is who I am. Early in my career, the surroundings took me away from who I am but going to Tokyo, training in a fantastic group, I came back to who I am. I am excited and I am winning races. There is no a better feeling. I am living a dream right now.”

Jordan Scott competes in the men’s triple jump during the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting, at the Olympic Stadium, in Rome on June 4, 2026.  (Photo: AFP)

World leader Scott, who was losing for the first time this year, had to work hard in the men’s triple jump, getting his best mark 17.33m (-0.2m/s) in the final round, ahead of Hibbert’s season’s best 17.02m (-0.8m/s).

Italy’s Andy Diaz Hernandez won his third-straight Rome Diamond League title with a season’s best 17.59m (-0.1m/s).

Scott admitted he did not have his best day saying, “It took a lot of adjustment today to get to 17.33m, more than I would generally like to. I have a bit of an idea where I am now and I know what to work on next. This is a good distance I jumped today, although not where I wanted to be today.”

Bennett, who hinted that he would be forgoing the JAAA National Senior Championships set for June 18-21 and as a consequent, the Commonwealth Games in July, said he was less than pleased with his performance.

The reigning Jamaican national champion, ran 13.31 seconds (0.5m/s) to finish behind American Trey Cunningham, who ran a personal best, world leading and meeting record 12.98 seconds.

Spain’s Enrique Llopis was third with 13.32 seconds.

“I do not know if this was a good race, it was not really the best. I just tried to get through the race and through the hurdles,” Bennett said after the race. “Maybe it was because of the low temperatures. It was also back-to-back races. I came here to execute and I really did.”

His schedule, he said, had him racing at the next Diamond League meeting in Doha, Qatar on June 19, after which he said, “I go home to Jamaica and rest a bit. This is an off-season for me so my goals are staying in the circuit and getting good times and good rewards.”

Triple jump athlete Jaydon Hibbert competes at the Rome Diamond League. (Photo: AFP)

Pryce finished strong to snatch third place in the women’s 400m, getting a season’s best 49.80 seconds as Norway’s Henriette Jaeger won with 49.60 seconds and Lurdes Gloria Manuel of Czechia ran a personal best 49.77 seconds for second.

Clayton lowered her season’s best to finish third in the Women’s 400m hurdles, clocking 53.14 seconds, under the 53.75 seconds she ran in Rabat, Morocco on Sunday.

Emma Zapletalova of Slovakia recorded consecutive wins, lowering her national record to 52.58 seconds, also the world lead as American Anna Cockrell was second with 52.77 seconds.

Beckford cleared 2.23m to take third in the men’s high jump, the same height as Mexico’s Erik Portillo, who was second as Italy’s Matteo Sioli won with 2.28m.

World Indoor medalist Raymond Richards cleared 2.20m for seventh place.

Tajay Gayle placed fourth in the men’s long jump with 8.04m (-0.3m/s) and Wayne Pinnock was seventh with 7.75m (-0.3m/s) with Rajindra Campbell finishing fifth in the men’s shot put with a best of 21.39m.

Ackeem Blake ran 10.06 seconds (0.4m/s) for seventh in the men’s 100m that was won by American Noah Lyles in 9.88 seconds, beating Emmanuel Eseme, who set a Cameroon national record 9.94 seconds while Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo was third in a season’s best 9.95 seconds.

SIMMONDS…this is for everybody who have told you that you could not do it and who didn’t believe in you (Photo: FILIPPO MONTEFORTE)