Shericka Jackson places second in women’s 200m at Diamond League
DOHA – Jamaica’s World Championships medallist Shericka Jackson had to be satisfied with second place in the womens’ 200m at the opening Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha on Friday, clocking 22.37 seconds (1.3m/s) in her opening race.
Jackson was overtaken by American Gabrielle Thomas who equalled the meet record 21.98 seconds set by Allison Felix in 2015, also setting a season’s best.
World Champion Dina Asher-Smith faded to third place with 22.37 seconds.
Earlier, Britany Anderson was third in a brilliant 100m hurdles race that saw one-hundredth of a second separating the top three, running a wind-aided 12.44 seconds (3.8m/s), the same time credited to second placed Tobi Amusan of Nigeria with American Kendra Harrison winning in 12.43 seconds.
Olympic Games bronze medalist Megan Tapper was eighth in 12.92 seconds after a good start.
Jaheel Hyde ran a season’s best 50.23 seconds to place fifth in the men’s 400m hurdles as Brazil’s Alison dos Santos created an upset, beating American Rai Benjamin for the first time, running a meet record and world leading 47.24 seconds, faster than the 47.38 seconds set by the American last year.
Benjamin clocked a season’s best 47.49 seconds and Ireland’s Thomas Barr was third with 49.67 seconds.
-Paul A Reid