High jumper Distin secures second in Zagreb meet

Jamaica’s Lamara Distin secured a second-place finish in the women’s high jump at yesterday’s World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Zagreb, Croatia.

Distin, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games champion in the event, had a keen tussle with Serbia’s Angeline Topic but in the end had to settle for second with a season’s best jump of 1.92 metres as Topic claimed victory with 1.94m. Idea Pieron of Italy finished third with 1.90m.

The three-day meet concludes today, with action on the track and in the field, where three Jamaicans are set to compete. They are led by Olympic triple jump silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts. Ricketts will be aiming for back-to-back wins after defeating Paris Olympic champion Thea LaFond at the Doha Diamond League, where she posted a winning distance of 14.72m to Lafond’s 14.39m.

Tajay Gayle, the country’s top long jumper this season with a mark of 8.34m, will also be in action while Omar McLeod is set to compete in the men’s 110m hurdles.

Today’s competition will also feature Olympic 100m champion Julien Alfred of St Lucia, who will compete in the women’s 200m. After clocking a sizzling personal best of 21.88 seconds in Gainesville a month ago, she will be eyeing the meet record of 22.04 held by Christine Mboma of Namibia.