Jamaica’s 2011 world champion Yohan Blake and Tokyo Olympic fifth-place finisher Candice McLeod had to settle for second-place finishes at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Blake went out hard in the 100m but Britain’s European silver medallist Reece Prescod showed a blistering pace over the last 20 meters to surge ahead and clock a personal best time of 9.93 seconds despite running into a headwind. Blake was second in 10.05.
Prescod’s British compatriot Zharnel Hughes also clocked 10.05 seconds but had to settle for third.
The 9.93 clocking means that Prescod became the first European man to break 10 seconds in the 100 meters this season.
Poland’s Olympic mixed 4x400m champion Natalia Kaczmarek won a thrilling 400m clash, finishing fast to overcome McLeod and her Olympic relay medallist teammate Anna Kielbasinska.
Running in lane eight, Kaczmarek was behind off the final bend but came through in a big PB of 50.16, a mark that puts her second on the Polish all-time list. McLeod ran 50.38 ahead of Kielbasinska’s PB-equalling mark of the same time.
Jamaica’s Megan Tapper could only manage sixth in the women’s 100m hurdles.
Tapper, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist, came home in 13.12 seconds.
Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico recovered from a slow start to finish first in 12.56 seconds. Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland was second in 12.65 ahead of American Nia Ali, who clocked 12.69 in third.
See the entire article at: Jamaican Loop News
