Double Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown did not get the season best (SB) time (sub-11secs) and perhaps the perfect execution she hoped for as she headed into the IAAF Diamond League series in Oslo Thursday, June 11, where she competed in the 100m dash with co-world leader Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast in the line-up. Instead, Campbell-Brown had to settle for second in 11.08secs to Ahoure (11.03), who got a flying star, leaving her in the blocks and holding on to the line as Campbell-Brown closed rapidly into the 0.6mps headwind.
On Wednesday (10), the 33-yr-old Jamaican sprint said she believed she could go under 11secs at the Games, noting that that her form and weather conditions favored a sub-11 time for her debut in Oslo. She was, however, quick to point out that race execution was crucial for a win in the 100m race.
While Campbell-Brown clocked a SB of 11.04 in Rio, Brazil for her season opener in April, Ahoure was far from the 10.81 personal best (PB) she ran placing second to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the same time at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon two weeks ago. It was that world-leading time that made her the favorite to win in Oslo, and she lived up to expectation. Having just being nipped by Fraser-Pryce and then defeating Campbell-Brown, Ahoure is now seen as a force to be reckoned with for the podium finishes.
Spencer on Fast Track to Worlds
Diamond League 400m hurdler Kaliese Spencer has been on a roll with impressive times since she opened the 2015 season, and she has been building her preparation for the Jamaica national trials at the end of June. In Oslo Thursday (11), she won her 400mH race with a gusty display in breezy conditions and a world-leading 54.15secs. It was her 21st Diamond League triumph.
In second place was America’s Georganne Moline (54.29) while Czech World champion Zuzana Hejnova was third (55.14). Full results