Richards sprints to Rome Diamond League 400m bronze

Jereem Richards sprinted to bronze in the men’s 400 metres at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea Diamond League Meet in Rome, Italy, Friday.

Richards finished strongly to clock 44.54 seconds to pass Botswana’s Bapyo Ndori (44.56) just before the finish line.

Racing in his first 400m race since his fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics earlier this month, Richards started strongly and produced his traditional trademark strong finish but the 2022 World Indoor champion could not catch Paris Olympic bronze medallist Muzal Samukonga of Zimbabwe (43.99) and former Olympic and World champion Grenadian Kirani James (44.30) both of whom got to the line ahead of him.

The race is the second from Richards since he set a new national 400m record of 43.78. He was fifth in the Lausanne, Switzerland Diamond League 200m on August 22 in a season’s best time of 20.10.

Akera Nugent set a new Jamaican record of 12.24 seconds in winning the women’s 100m hurdles ahead of the Paris Olympic champion American Masai Russell (12.31). Nugent improved on the previous national mark of 12.28 she set in taking the Jamaican title in late June. The win is the second after she won in Lausanne in a meet record of 12.29. The double victory was redemption for the 2021 World Under 20 champion after she failed to finish in the finals.

Nugent’s compatriot, Paris Olympic men’s discus winner Roje Stona was among three Jamaicans who were second in their events.

Stona was runner-up in the men’s discus in Rome with 67.85. Slovenia’s 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh took the top spot (68.61) with world record-holder Mykolas Alexna of Lithuania (67.68) taking bronze.

Another Jamaican Romaine Beckford narrowly missed out on gold in the men’s high jump. The Paris Olympics tenth-place clearance a personal best of 2.30m but lost out for the top spot to Woo Sanghyeok of South Korea, the 2022 World Indoor gold medallist, who also cleared 2.30m.

Shiaan Selman took silver in the women’s 400 hurdles in 53.20. Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell of the USA won in 52.59.

Jamaia’s former World and Olympic champion Omar Mc Leod finished third in the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.28. France’s 2021 World Under-20 victor Sasha Zhoya won with 13.18 and Asier Martinez of Spain, 2022 World Championships bronze medallist, was third in 13.27. Jamaican Orlando Bennett was fifth in 13.33.

Rome Diamond League

Men’s 400m

1 Muzal Samukonga (Zimbabwe) 43.99

2 Kirani James (Grenada) 44.30

3 Jereem Richards (T&T) 44.55

4 Baypo Ndori (Botswana)44.56

5 Vernon Norwood (USA) 44.71

6 Charles Dobson (Great Britain)44.75

7 Bryce Deadmon (USA) 44.77

8 Busang Kebinatshipi (Botswana) 45.14

9 Luca Sito (Italy) 45.25

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