(Loop News, Jamaica): Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce continued her fine late-season form with a comfortable 10.81-second 100m victory (0.4m/s) at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia, Poland, on Sunday, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting.
It was a Polish all-comers’ record, breaking the 10.93 mark set by Ewa Kasprzyk in 1986.
“I took some time after Lausanne to get back into things and I’m looking forward to the next one because I definitely think, technically, I was very good in that race,” said Fraser-Pryce, who clocked 10.60 in the Swiss Diamond League meeting 10 days ago. “I was glad I was able to get the break. I needed it to regroup and come again. I’m back in the groove now and hoping the next two races (Zurich on 9 September and Bellinzona on 14 September) will be good.”
Asked if she thinks she can join her Jamaican compatriot Elaine Thompson-Herah and go below 10.60 this season, Fraser-Pryce said: “That’s what I’m working towards. Let’s see if I get there.”
The two-time Olympic 100m champion crossed the line well ahead of Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji (11.08) and Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.15). Shashalee Forbes, another Jamaican, was sixth in 11.51 seconds.
There was another Jamaican victory in Poland as Olympic gold medallist Hansle Parchment showed the composure of a champion in the men’s 110m hurdles, trailing USA’s Devon Allen for most of the race before coming through over the final barrier to take victory in 13.26 (0.1m/s) to Allen’s 13.37.
Parchment’s compatriot Damion Thomas finished third in 13.60 seconds.
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan justified her favourite’s tag in the women’s 100m hurdles, sprinting to victory in 12.64 (0.1m/s) ahead of Jamaica’s Megan Tapper (12.75) and USA’s Christina Clemons (12.92).
Jamaica’s Jaheel Hyde clocked 48.89 seconds for third place in the men’s 400m hurdles. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos backed up his win in Brussels on Friday with victory less than 48 hours later, setting a meeting record of 48.50 to beat Turkey’s Yasmani Copello (48.80).
In the women’s 400m, Candice McLeod finished third in 51.88 while her Jamaican compatriots Janieve Russell (52.19) and Roneisha McGregor (52.23) finished fifth and sixth respectively. There was a Polish 1-2 finish as Natalia Kaczmarek set a PB of 50.70 to beat Anna Kielbasinska (51.19).
In the men’s 400m, Christopher Taylor finished fifth in 45.68 and the other Jamaican – Karayme Bartley – was last in 46.40. Michael Cherry continued his fine form to secure the victory in 44.94 easing down ahead of fellow US athlete Vernon Norwood (45.12).
Fedrick Dacres was third in the men’s discus with a best of 64.91m as Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh took the win with 66.65m.
