Keni Harrison celebrates after winning the women's 100-meter hurdles at the IAAF Diamond League on July 22, 2018 in London.
Keni Harrison and Jenna Prandini led the way with wins as U.S. track and field athletes captured another eight top-three performances at the Muller Anniversary Games Diamond League meet in London on Sunday, with several athletes recording personal- or season-best results to boot.
The American women continued their dominance in the 100-meter hurdles, with Harrison, the world-record holder, edging Olympic champion Brianna McNeal and Sharika Nelvis as she finished in a world-leading time of 12.36 seconds. Harrison beat the previous mark set by McNeal in Stockholm in June by 0.02. McNeal finished in 12.47, while Nelvis’ 12.51 was a season’s best.
“I wanted to come out here and run fast and come across the line first, which I did. I think I hit a few hurdles, so I know I can run faster,” Harrison said. “You peak in your late 20s in this event and I'm just starting to get there, and I want another PB within the next few meets or the next few years.”
Prandini, a 2016 Olympian, set a personal best of 22.16 seconds en route to winning the 200-meter, edging U.S. teammate Gabrielle Thomas, who with 22.19 seconds earned a PB of her own.
“I felt great in a great field and running a PB in that is awesome,” Prandini said. “I wanted to stay as relaxed as I could and I did.”
Rio Olympic bronze medalist Clayton Murphy ran 1 minute, 43.12 seconds in the men’s 800, finishing second to Kenya’s Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir but setting a new standard for himself. He wasn’t alone, either: each of the top nine runners in the race set records of some kind, with Korir’s time of 1:42.05 setting a course record — and the best time in the world this year.
In women’s high jump, 2016 Olympian Vashti Cunningham tied for third with Morgan Lake of Great Britain, each clearing 1.91 meters. Russian-born Mariya Lasitskene remains the current queen of the discipline, clearing 2.04 to equal the world-leading mark she set in Paris this year. Italy’s Elena Vallortigara was second with a jump of 2.02.
For 2016 Olympian Jarrion Lawson, his season-best effort in the men’s long jump — 8.25 meters — earned him third place behind Luvo Manyonga of South Africa and Ruswahl Samaai, both of whom also equaled or exceeded their own season’s bests of 8.58 and 8.42, respectively. Additionally, Jenny Simpson, the reigning Olympic bronze medalist in the 1,500-meter, finished fourth in the Millicent Fawcett mile at 4:17.30 but also set a personal best.
Blythe Lawrence is a journalist based in Seattle. She has covered two Olympic Games and is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
