Athletics Weekly – July 24, 2019

ACTION MÜLLER ANNIVERSARY GAMES, LONDON

DOUBLE Olympic champion

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce may have

been on maternity leave in 2017

and consequently not at her best

in 2018, but those who thought

she was a spent force have been

proven wrong as she continued her

sparkling 2019 and ran her third

sub-10.8 100m clocking of the year

in the final event of the meeting.

The Jamaican won in 10.78 to

just miss her six-year-old meeting

record of 10.77 after winning in 10.

last year.

Her reaction time was a

modest 0.155 but her pick up was

sensational and she was clear of

the field after 20 metres. Increasing

her lead throughout, she won by

well over a metre from Dina Asher-

Smith after the race was started for

the second time after world 200m

champion Dafne Schippers had

a marginal false start at the first

attempt.

The winner remarked: “At first I

was put off by the false start but

I am definitely happy. It’s a long

season and I’ve been training and

training. To come out here and

run 10.78 is a fabulous time. My

aim for Doha is definitely to be on

the podium and I am hoping my

experience will come into play.”

While the crowd may have

been slightly disappointed that

the meeting did not end in home

success, Asher-Smith ran 10.

to maintain her consistent sub-

form.

“I love running at the Anniversary

Games. I made my senior debut

back in 2013 and since then I’ve

made so many great memories

THE first track race of the day saw the

2015 world champion Danielle Williams

improve her 100m hurdles PB from 12.

to 12.41 in the heat to just miss Janeek

Brown’s 12.40 world lead and Jamaican

record.

In the final, Williams was even quicker.

With a fast reaction (0.119), she dominated

from the start and holding her form

superbly, smashed Brown’s national

record with a mightily impressive 12.

to win by over two metres from Nia Ali’s

12.57. That moved her to seventh all-time

and confirmed Doha will not just be

contested by the Americans.

The Jamaican said: “I am thrilled with

that. My aim was always to run fast. It has

been coming all season and it was just all

about when.

“This track is fast and the fact that we

get two opportunities because of the heats

means you can fix what you did wrong

ready for the final.”

Third place went to the USA’s Queen

Claye in 12.64.

The heats did not go well for the British

athletes. Cindy Ofili was sixth and final

finisher in heat one in 13.24 while Alicia

Barrett was disqualified and in heat two,

Yasmin Miller was last in 13.91.

Williams in seventh heaven

Fraser-Pryce is right on form

Danielle Williams:

fast 12.32 sprint

hurdles win