The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WORLD indoor 60 metres hurdles champion and record holder Devynne Charlton found herself right in the thick of things in a hotly contested women's 100m hurdles at the Wanda Diamond League on Saturday.

With its first meet being hosted in the United States at the Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Charlton battled through the first eight hurdles with her American training partner Masai Russell.But Russell, the Olympic champion and world leader, managed to surge ahead to take the tape in 12.24 seconds to tie the meet record that was set by former American world record holder Kendra Harrison in 2016.

As Russell pulled away for the win, Nigeria's Tobi Amusan battled back to sneak into second place in 12.34, leaving Charlton in a photo finish for third with American Grace Stack, both timed at 12.41.

Two of Jamaica's top competitors, Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent, were fifth and sixth in 12.51 and 12.63 respectively, while three Americans, including Harrison (eighth in 12.66) rounded out the field. Tonea Marshall got seventh in 12.65 and Alaysha Johnson was ninth in 12.86.

With this being the fifth of eight meets for the year, Charlton is now sitting in third place in the Diamond League standings with 19 points.

Amusan tops the list with 28, followed by Russell with 24. Jamaica's Megan Simmonds, another training partner of Charlton and Russell, didn't compete in the meet.

The only other Bahamian in the Diamond League ranking is Olympic and world women's 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who controls the 200 metres with 19 points, followed closely by American Anavia Battle with 19 and Jamaican Shericka Jackson in third with 16.

Miller-Uibo is The Bahamas' most decorated competitor in Diamond League history, having won the 200m title three consecutive years from 2017-2019 and the 400m in 2017 as the first double champion. 

The Wanda Diamond League is an annual series of elite track and field competitions in 15 disciplines to earn points throughout the year, culminating with the finals in Brussels, Belgium, over the weekend of September 4-5.

The Wanda Diamond League offers a record total of $9.24 million in prize money. 

The total prize money awarded per meeting will be $500,000 at each of the 14 regular series meetings, and $2.24 million at the Wanda Diamond League Final.

The prize money per discipline will be between $30,000 and $40,000 at the series meetings and between $60,000 and $100,000 at the Wanda Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 4-5.

Nairn victorious in

Barbados

At the Barbados Grand Prix at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex in St Michael, Barbados, Laquan Nairn cleared 25-feet or 7.62 metres to win the men's long jump.

Nikaoli Williams cleared the same distance for second place. 

Nairn was coming off his loss at the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations' Senior and Junior Nationals, held two weeks ago at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. He is the defending Commonwealth Games' champion.