Gayle, Campbell shine in Zurich

Tajay Gayle and Rajindra Campbell delivered Jamaica’s best results at yesterday’s Wanda Diamond League meeting in Zurich, both securing second-place finishes in their respective field events on a night defined by two stunning world records in the hurdles.

Gayle produced a season’s best 8.43 metres to take second in the men’s long jump, continuing his strong late-season form as he pushes for a big finish to the Diamond League campaign. Countryman Wayne Pinnock was third with 8.33m, while Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou won with a season’s best 8.45m.

Campbell was equally impressive in the men’s shot put, finishing second with 22.22m against a high-quality field. The Olympic bronze medallist, who set a personal and Jamaican record of 22.44m in Zagreb in June, again showed consistency. American Jordan Geist won with a personal-best 22.53m, while Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri placed third with 22.16m.

Rushell Clayton maintained her good form in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing third in 53.17 seconds. American Anna Cockrell won in a meeting record and world-leading 52.13, with Dalilah Muhammad second in a season’s best 53.16.

Two World-records

The Zurich meet, staged at the Letzigrund Stadium, was headlined by two world-record performances in the hurdles. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos produced the first, clocking 45.80 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles to erase Karsten Warholm’s previous mark of 45.94 set at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Warholm finished second in 46.69.

Moments later, American Masai Russell added another world record, winning the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.09 seconds. Russell lowered Tobi Amusan’s previous record of 12.12 set in 2022. Amusan was second in a season’s best 12.23, while Jamaica’s Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent finished fourth and fifth in 12.56 and 12.69, respectively.

St Lucia’s Olympic champion Julien Alfred ended the recent dominance of world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the women’s 100m, winning in a national-record 10.70 seconds. Jefferson-Wooden was second in the same time, while American Sha’Carri Richardson finished third in 10.97. Jamaica’s Tina Clayton was fourth in 10.98, with Brianna Lyston sixth in 11.13 and Jonielle Smith seventh in 11.14.

In other results, Lamara Distin finished fourth in the women’s high jump with a season’s best 1.96m, Bryan Levell was sixth in the men’s 200m in 20.32 seconds, and Navasky Anderson placed seventh in the men’s non-Diamond League 800m in 1:44.31.

The Diamond League Finals will take place in Brussels on September 4 and 5.