Broadbell’s burst of speed

Rasheed Broadbell produced a brilliant burst of speed after the final barrier to upstage Olympic Games champion Grant Holloway of the United States in the 110-metre hurdles event at the Lausanne Wanda Diamond League meet yesterday.

Lausanne has become a happy hunting ground for Broadbell as the Paris bronze medallist won the Diamond League hurdles race for the third consecutive year. His wins in the Swiss city include a personal best of 12.99 seconds in 2022.

Broadbell was fourth with less than two barriers to go before displaying awesome finishing speed to win the event in 13.10. For the third time in the last three years at the meet he got the better of Holloway, who ended second yesterday in 13.14. It was the American’s first defeat of the season in the event. Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment finished third in 13.23.

The 24-year-old Broadbell said he loves competing at the venue.

“It felt really great to win here again. I am undefeated in Lausanne. The atmosphere is always fantastic and it is a pleasure to come here and put on a show and I think I did that,” said Broadbell who felt he could have gone faster but was happy with the win.

Five other Jamaican athletes had top-three finishes at the meet. There were second-place finishes for Rushell Clayton in the women’s 400m hurdles and Wayne Pinnock in the men’s long jump.

Clayton led for eight barriers before being passed by Femke Bol of the Netherlands who won in 52.25 seconds to break her one-year-old meet record of 52.76. Clayton clocked in 53.32 for second as compatriots Janieve Russell (54.48) and Andrenette Knight (54.93) were third and fourth, respectively.

“The atmosphere in the stadium was great. This was my first race since the Olympics and I just wanted to see how my body felt. It felt really good so I am happy and I am just looking forward to my next race in a few days,” said Clayton.

The top two male long jumpers in Paris finished in the same order in Lausanne. Pinnock who took the lead with 8.01m after his third attempt, looked like pulling off a win and scoring his first victory over Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece who held third with th 7.97m going into his final attempt.

Like he has done on several occasions, Tentoglou used his sixth and final effort to get the better of Pinnock with a winning mark of 8.06m. Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle (7.92m) and Carey McLeod (7.82m) were fourth and seventh, respectively.

After her disappointment in the women’s 100m hurdles final in Paris where she failed to finish, Ackera Nugent placed third in the event yesterday.

With five of the finalists from Paris competing, Nugent was just edged out by Grace Stark of the United States for second. Both athletes were awarded the same time, 12.38 seconds. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico also made it three wins in a row in Lausanne after clocking 12.35 to equal her season’s best. Danielle Williams, the other Jamaican in the event, ended fifth in 12.53.

Tia Clayton who was fifth in the 100m in Paris was fifth in Lausanne on her Diamond League debut. She clocked 11.10 seconds. The race was won by Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain in a season’s best 10.88, ahead of Tamari Davis of the United States (10.97) and Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland who took third in 11.06.

Jamaica’s Danniel Thomas-Dodd ended fifth in the women’s shot put with 18.78m, Lamara Distin was seventh in the women’s high jump with 1.88m and Natoya Goule-Toppn placed eighth in the 800m in 1:59.68.