#ParisOlympics: Clayton leads Jamaicans into women’s 400m hurdles semis
Medal favourite Rushell Clayton led all three Jamaicans into the semi-finals of the women’s 400m hurdles at the Olympic Games in Paris after winning her first round heat in 54.32 seconds on Sunday.
In her first-ever race at an Olympics, Clayton went out hard and led coming off the curve before easing through the finish line ahead pf Portugal’s Fatoumata Binta Diallo who was second in 54.75 seconds and Norway’s Amalie Iuel who ran a season’s best 54.82 seconds for third.
Shiann Salmon ran 53.95 seconds for second in her opening round, dragged all the way by Femke Bol of the Netherlands who easily won in 53.38 seconds, while Zeney Geldenhuys of South Africa was third in 54.73 seconds.
Janieve Russell was third in her heat, running 54.67 seconds behind American Anna Cockrell who won in 53.91 seconds and Lina Nielsen of Great Britain who finished second in 54.65 seconds.
-Paul A Reid
