Seville, Williams earn podium finishes at London Diamond League
World leader Oblique Seville and Stacey Ann Williams earned podium finishes at Saturday’s Novuna London Athletics Meet at the Olympic Stadium, the 11th stop on the 14-stage Wanda Diamond League series.
Seville was second in the men’s 100m and Williams third in the women’s 400m.
Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi ran 9.84 seconds (-0.7m/s), for the third time this year, to beat Seville’s 9.87 seconds for the second straight time, with Great Britain’s Romell Glave third in a personal best 9.97 seconds.
Williams ran 49.52 seconds, her fourth time under the 50.00 seconds barrier this season, for third in the women’s 400m, just ahead of compatriot Nickisha Pryce, who ran 50.09 seconds.
World leader Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic recovered from a slow start to run away from the field in the last 60 metres to win in 48.97 seconds, with Henriette Jaeger setting a Norwegian national record of 49.15 seconds for second.
World Championships medallist Orlando Bennett was sixth in the 110m hurdles, running 13.21 seconds (0.3m/s), ahead of national champion Demario Prince, who was seventh in 13.27 seconds.
World record holder Ja’Kobe Tharpe of the United States set a new meet record of 12.89 seconds, to beat Cuba’s Kendry L Menendez, who ran a personal best 13.01 seconds, with Trey Cunningham of the United States third in 13.12 seconds.
Lamara Distin, who led the women’s high jump in the early stages, finished sixth with 1.93m after clearing the first four heights on her first attempt.
— Paul A Reid