...beats Olympic champ
Trinidad and Tobago track star, Kelly-Ann Baptiste earned bronze in the women’s 100 metres dash at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games IAAF Diamond League meet, in London, England, yesterday.
Baptiste got to the line in 10.93 seconds to finish third, behind Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare—the winner in an African record time of 10.79—and American Barbara Pierre (10.85).
Baptiste beat two-time Olympic champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican copping fourth spot in 10.94 seconds. Ivory Coast sprinter Murielle Ahoure (10.95), Jamaica’s Kerron Stewart (11.02) and English Gardner (11.08) of the United States were fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Another American, Carmelita Jeter felt tightness in her quadriceps, and opted out of the final.
In the qualifying round, Baptiste was fourth in heat two in 10.99 seconds. Okagbare won in 10.86, while Pierre (10.90) was second and Ahoure (10.98) third.
Fraser-Pryce dominated heat one, winning in 10.77 seconds—the fastest time in the world this year. Jeter was a distant second in 10.93, while Stewart (11.08) and Gardner (11.10) rounded out the top four.
Ahead of the London Diamond League meet, Baptiste was at the top of the 2013 world performance list with the 10.83 seconds national record run she produced at the T&T Championships, last month. She is now third, behind Fraser-Pryce (10.77) and Okagbare (10.79).
Mikel Thomas was also on show at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games. He competed in the second men’s 110m hurdles qualifying heat, the T&T athlete finishing seventh in the race and tenth overall in 13.65 seconds. The top eight advanced to the final.
In the championship race, American David Oliver grabbed gold in 13.20 seconds. Great Britain’s William Sharman (13.26) picked up silver, while bronze went to Poland’s Artur Noga (13.31).
Reigning Olympic champion and world record holder (12.80) Aries Merritt was the fastest man in the qualifying round, topping heat two in 13.14 seconds. In the final, however, the American hit a hurdle and could not recover.