Ackera Nugent has continued her blistering form post the 2024 Paris Olympics, running a world leading time to win the women’s 100m hurdles at the Rome Wanda Diamond League meeting.
Running from lane seven, Nugent stormed to victory in a new Jamaican national record and meet record 12.24 seconds – the fourth fastest time in history – to destroy a quality field that included reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell, silver medalist Cyréna Samba-Mayela, Kendra Harrison – the former world record holder, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas and Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland.
The result for Nugent comes after she set a meet record 12.29 seconds at the Silesia Diamond League meet in Poland on Sunday and betters her previous personal best and Jamaican record 12.28 seconds.
Finishing in second place was Russell who ran 12.31 seconds while Nadine Visser of the Netherlands was third in 12.52s.
Also in action at the meet was Olympic record holder Roje Stona who finished second in the men’s discuss with a best effort registering 67.85 metres. The event was won by Slovakian Kristjan Čeh with a throw of 68.61 metres.
In the women’s 400m hurdles, former Hydel standout Shian Salmon finished in second place, her 53.20s trailing only behind Olympic silver medalist Anna Cockrell of the USA who won in 52.59s. Janieve Russell (54.46s) was fourth and Andrennette Knight (54.90s) fifth.
There was a third place finish in the men’s 110m hurdles for 2016 Olympic champion Omar McLeod whose time of 13.28s saw him being edged on the line by Asier Martinez of Spain (SB 13.27s) with Sasha Zhoya of France winning in 13.18s. Orlando Bennett ended fifth in 13.33s.
In the field events, Romaine Beckford, the lone Jamaican in the men’s high jump final, was second with a personal best 2.30 metres – the same height as winner Woo Sanghyeok of Korea Republic – while Rajindra Campbell was fifth in the men’s shot put with a throw of 21.52 metres, gold went to the Olympic champion Ryan Crouser in a meet record 22.49m.
