LEVELLING UP

BRYAN LEVELL became the third fastest Jamaican in history, and the third fastest man in the world this year, after clocking a remarkable 19.69 seconds to win the 200 metres at the Gyulai István Memorial World Continental Tour Gold meet in Budapest, Hungary, yesterday.

Levell’s clocking puts him only Behind Usain Bolt’s 19.19 and Yohan Blake’s 19.26.

Hungary proved fertile ground for Jamaicans yesterday with Ashanti Moore, 22.31, also going faster than she had ever gone before to take the top of the podium.

While nowhere near his best, Kishane Thompson was also in winners’ row, clocking 9.95 to win the 100 metres.

Levell hinted at producing something special over the half-lap event when he ran a personal best 9.82 seconds in the 100m in Austria to be the joint second-fastest man in the world in the event this season.

Levell easily got the better of Wayde van Niekerk and his teammate, Benjamin Richardson of South Africa, who were second and third in 20.07 and 20.30, respectively. Adrian Kerr was sixth in 20.52, and Michael Campbell finished eighth in 20.88.

Only the United States duo of Noah Lyles (19.63) and Kenneth Bednarak (19.67) have gone quicker than Levell this year, putting the participants at next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on notice.

Running out of lane six, Levell ran a blinding corner to come off it in front but never lost any steam down the straightaway, creating distance between himself and his more famous South African opponents on his inside.

Earlier, Moore — like Levell, dominant in Europe this season in both the 100m and 200m — continued her fine form in the half-lap event but had to fight off Nigeria’s Favour Ofili. Both were credited with 22.31 for the victory. Great Britain’s Darryl Neita finished just behind in 22.37.

Moore’s personal best moved her up to 21st in the world this year.

Thompson, in the final race of the day, had his poorest execution of the season with a very slow start and lacking his usual mid-race dominance but still managed to win in 9.95. Abdul Rasheed Saminu of Ghana was second in 10.01, with Akani Simbine of South Africa third, also in 10.01.

Ackeem Blake was fourth in 10.04, Kadrian Goldson sixth in 10.08, and Rohan Watson seventh in 10.12.

In the women’s 100m, multiple world champions Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson, who were second and third at the World Championships at this same venue two years ago — were beaten by veteran Marie-Josée Ta Lou Smith.

In what was a close race from the start, the Ivorian found more in the latter stages to take the win in 10.97 (-0.4mps). Tina Clayton had to settle for second in 10.99, while Jackson and Fraser-Pryce, both competing in their first individual event since the National Senior Championships in late June, were third and fourth in 11.00 and 11.07, respectively. Krystal Sloley ended eighth in 11.28.

Sprint hurdler Hansle Parchment clocked 13.24 to finish second behind world leader Cordell Tinch of the United States, who won in 13.20. National champion Orlando Bennett finished fifth in 13.26.

In a specially arranged 60-metre event, Dominic Williams was second in 6.66s behind Domink Illovszky of Hungary, who won in 6.63. Michael Campbell (6.67), Kadrian Goldson (6.76), and Adrian Kerr (6.79) ended fourth, sixth, and seven,h respectively.

Ackera Nugent, returning from a month-long break, was fourth in the 100m hurdles in 12.85, with Amoi Brown fifth in 12.88. Shiann Salmon was sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.95 while national champion Rusheen McDonald failed in another attempt to hit the Tokyo World Championships standard in the men’s 400m, finishing fifth in 45.12, with Sean Bailey eighth in 48.38.

National long jump champion Ackelia Smith jumped 6.67 metres to finish second in the women’s long jump behind the United States’ Claire Bryant, who won with 6.71m.

In the men’s long jump, Carey McLeod was fifth with 7.96 and Tajay Gayle seventh with 7.86 as Germany’s Simon Batz won with 8.07.

Rajindra Campbell (20.85m in the men’s shot put) and Raymond Richards (2.18m in the high jump) ended seventh in their events.

Further afield, pole vault superstar Mondo Duplantis set his 13th world record with a 6.29-metre clearance.