5th July 2019

PB FOR NELSON IN LAUSANNE AS BRITS SET SEVERAL SEASON BESTS

There were strong performances from the British athletes at the IAAF Diamond League in Lausanne as a flurry of season bests fell across the evening.

British record holder Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie; club: Blackheath & Bromley) ran the second quickest 100m of her career to date, posting a time of 10.91 (+0.2). Her national record stands at 10.85, set in Berlin last August, and the triple European champion was in exceptional form over the shorter sprint.

Meanwhile, the two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce showed her class, speeding her way to victory in a rapid 10.74

In the 200m, British duo Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan; Herts Phoenix) and Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka; City of Stoke) both ran IAAF World Championship qualifying standards, with Nelson’s mark also acting as a significant personal best.

For Williams, it was a season best of 22.75 (+1.0) which saw her cross the line in second place, continuing her impressive form so far in 2019.

Improving her previous PB by 0.09 seconds, Nelson’s time clocked at 22.85 and placed her fourth in this race. After going 23.03 in midweek in Marseille, this was another sign of her ever-improving 2019 form. USA’s Gabrielle Thomas won in 22.69.

Clocking a SB of 51.31, Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey) ran a composed lap following a difficult lane one draw, to finish fourth. She improved her best this year from 51.51, set in Poland last month.

Salwa Eid Naser (BRN) won a tight contest, beating the fast finishing Aminatou Seyni (IND) – who set a national record – winning in 49.17 from 49.19.

GB’s Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon) ran a season best of 13.28 (+1.0) in the 110m hurdles, placing fourth in a quality field. Out in lane eight, the Briton looked focused and held off China’s Xie Wenjun and reigning European champion Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (FRA).

Orlando Ortega (ESP) ran a clean race to win in 13.05 earning his second successive win in the Diamond League after success in Stanford last weekend.

In the men’s wheelchair 1500m, Britain’s world medallist Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks; Harlow) crossed the line in fifth position in only his second 1500m race of the season. His time was 3:06.78 while his compatriot, Dillon Labrooy (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy), finished in 3:08.34 for seventh. Multiple Paralympic and world champion Marcel Hug (SUI) won in 3:04.78 narrowly ahead of Yassine Gharbi (TUN).

In a fast and furious 1500m, Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh) was ninth in 3:34.40, another step in his return to competition after injury. The race was won in a world lead of 3:28.77 by world silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN).

Coming home in a season best of 1:45.86, Guy Learmonth (Henry Gray; Lasswade) was 10th in the 800m.

In the earlier 400m B race, Jamal Rhoden-Stevens (Donovan Reid; Shaftesbury Barnet) was fourth, recording a time of 46.74.

The action got underway on Thursday evening with the non-Diamond League pole vault which took place in the city centre, and Britain’s Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn) jumped her best outdoors so far during 2019, clearing 4.72m on her second attempt. It sealed third-place and the clearance was also an Olympic qualifying standard.

Highlights will be shown on BBC Two on Sunday 7 July between 13:30-14:55.

Full results can be found here.