Beckford second in Diamond League in Poland
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Commonwealth Games champion Romaine Beckford placed second in the men’s high jump on the first day of the two-day Wanda Diamond League meeting in Silesia, Poland, on Saturday, clearing 2.29m.
Beckford, who is third in the Diamond League rankings and expected to qualify for the lucrative final in Belgium in two weeks, used all three attempts to get over 2.26m and 2.29m before failing at 2.31m.
Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi won with 2.31m, with American JuVaughn Harrison placing third with 2.26m.
Meanwhile, Nia Robinson, who had failed to record a legal mark at the Commonwealth Games, was ninth in the women’s long jump with 6.29m (0.1m/s) after two fouls.
American Alyssa Jones won with a dramatic final round jump of 6.98m (1.5m/s) to overtake Agate de Sousa of Portugal who had jumped 6.98m (1.0m/s) in the second round, winning with a better second jump.
Monae Nichols of the USA was third with 6.95m (0.1m/s).
In a non-Diamond League event, Danniel Thomas-Dodd was eighth with 18.16m as American Chase Jackson threw a season’s best 20.92m to win; Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands was second with 20.20m and Commonwealth Games champion Sarah Mitton of Canada was third with 19.34m.
The meet continues on Sunday with 16 other Jamaicans, including sprinters Oblique Seville, Brianna Lyston, Tina and Tia Clayton, all seeking valuable Diamond League points to qualify for the final.
— Paul A Reid