Reigning Olympic champion Allyson Felix took second place in the 200m event at the Paris Diamond League. A week earlier, Felix withdrew from the U.S. championships after placing 14th in the 100m prelims. Felix, who tore her hamstring at the 2013 World Championships, was run down by Blessing Okagbare and finished just two-hundredths of a second behind the Nigerian. Felix’s time of 22.34s was her best this season.
The other Olympic star in the race, Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, came in fifth. Fraser-Pryce took silver in the 200m in London.
American Mike Rodgers, who took third place behind Justin Gatlin and Tyson Gay on Friday’s 100m race in Lausanne, returned to the Diamond League to take first. He clocked a time of 10.00s; Gatlin, who did not compete in Paris, won two days earlier with world-leading time of 9.80s.
Also noteworthy were two runners who didn’t cross the finish line. Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell was anticipated to return to the track in Paris after being granted a temporary reprieve from his suspension for a failed drug test. However, he withdrew due to a reported hamstring injury. Powell will appeal having to serve the rest of his ban, which was set to end in December, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport on July 7-8.
Another Jamaican, Nickel Ashmeade, false-started and delayed the race for several minutes as he vehemently protested his disqualification. Arguing with officials and sitting on the track, Ashmeade had to be convinced to leave before the remaining runners could compete.
Americans swept the podium in the women’s 100m hurdles, with Dawn Harper-Nelson finishing in 12.44s, the fastest time in the world this season. Harper-Nelson also won this event at the U.S. Championships. Queen Harrison and Lolo Jones, returning to the track after competing in two-woman bobsled at the Sochi Olympics, came in second and third, respectively.
Olympic gold medalist Sally Pearson finished sixth.
American Michael Tinsley lost to Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson in the men’s 400m hurdles in Lausanne two days ago, but was victorious in Paris. Culson, who previously tied Tinsley for top of the standings in this event, finished third. Olympic decathalon champion Ashton Eaton came in sixth.
Five-time Olympic medalist Sanya Richards-Ross took first place in the women’s 400m, followed by Jamaicans Stephenie Ann McPherson and Novlene Williams-Mills.
Three other events saw season’s best times: Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop in the men’s 800m with 1:43:34, the Netherland’s Sifan Hassan in the women’s 1,500m with 3:57:00, and Kenya’s Edwin Cheruiyot Soi in the men’s 5,000m with 12:59.82.
The next Diamond League meet will be held in Glasgow on July 11-12.
