Justin Gatlin reacts after winning the men's 100-meter at the IAAF Golden Gala at Stadio Olimpico on June 4, 2015 in Rome.
Thursday’s Diamond League stop in Lausanne, Switzerland, saw a number of Americans medal, including Justin Gatlin, who won the men’s 100-meter with a time of 9.96 seconds.
Proving that he is still a contender at this year’s world championships, the 35-year-old Gatlin edged Ben Youssef Meïté of the Ivory Coast, who ran a season-best 9.98, and South Africa’s Akani Simbine finished third with a time of 9.99. It was Gatlin’s second sub-10 time this season after running a 9.95 to win his fourth national title at the USATF Outdoor Championships in June.
Reigning Olympic gold medalist Ryan Crouser, whose throw of 22.52 meters in Rio set a new Olympic record, won the men’s shot put with a best throw of 22.39 meters. Late last month, Crouser won his second straight U.S. title in shot put with a throw of 22.65 meters, the longest throw in the world since 2003.
In a race that included all three medalists from Olympic Games Rio 2016, Ashley Spencer won the women’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.90 that boosted her lead in the standings, while Sam Kendricks won the men’s pole vault event for the second time in six days. His high vault of 5.93 on Thursday matched that of Poland’s Pawel Wojciechowski, and not only bested his winning vault of 5.82 in Paris on Saturday, but also set a new meet record.
The women’s 100-meter hurdles belonged to the Americans with U.S. athletes claiming the top six spots. Sharika Nelvis won with a season-best mark of 12.53 seconds, followed by Jasmin Stowers (12.57) and Christina Manning, who posted a personal best of 12.58.
Sha’Keela Saunders (6.68 meters) and Olympic champion Tianna Bartoletta (6.65 meters) finished second and third in women’s long jump. Bartoletta went into the event leading the standings with 21 points.
Two-time Olympic champion Christian Taylor and two-time Olympic silver medalist Will Claye, who are first and second in the qualification standings in the men’s triple jump, finished the event in second and third place, respectively. Taylor had a best of 17.49 meters and Claye posted a best of 17.12. The win went to Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba with 17.60 meters.
Kyra Jefferson finished third in the women’s 200-meter run with a time of 22.34. Charlene Lipsey was second in the women’s 800-meter with a time of 1:57.38.
South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk also ran his first international 400-meter since breaking the world record in Rio last summer and ran the fastest time of the year in the event with a time of 43.62, a new meet record.
Karen Price is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has covered Olympic sports for various publications. She is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
