Fraser-Pryce, Racers Set London Meet Records

Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Warren Weir and Racers Track Club of Jamaica all turned in fine performances at the two-day London Diamond League meet this past Friday and Saturday. Bolt and Fraser-Pryce clocked season bests (SB) of 9.85secs and 10.77, respectively over 100m, Weir covered the 200m distance in 19.89, and the Racers quartet stopped the clock in record time in the men’s sprint relay.

However, while both Bolt and Weir won their respective events on the first day, Fraser-Pryce ran a fast 10.77 (0.7m/s) world leader and meet record to win her heat on Day 2 but lost the final, in which she placed fourth in 10.94. Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare took the race in 10.79, an African record. In second place was American Barbara Pierre (10.85) and third was Trinidad and Tobago's Kelly-Ann Baptiste (10.93). Jamaica's Kerron Stewart placed sixth in 11.02.

The Racers crack squad of Mario Forsythe, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Warren Weir and Usain Bolt, in that order, gave Londoners a flashback of sorts to the 2012 Olympics with a meet record. The team closed out the meet with the only Jamaican win for the day, delivering 37.75 to defeat France (38.45), Canada (38.58), Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, an all-stars combination, and two British teams.

Other Jamaican women in finals action on the first day were Kimberly Williams, 14.38 meters for second in the triple jump, while Kaliese Spencer and Ristananna Tracey, 54.88 SB and 55.55 placed fifth and seventh, respectively, in the 400m hurdles.

In the men’s 100m dash, Nesta Carter (9.99) was third behind Bolt and American Mike Rodgers (9.98), while Jason Young (19.19) finished second to his teammate Weir in the 200m.

On the final day there were: Anneisha McLaughlin, 22.88 for fifth in the women's 200m won by American Allyson Felix in 22.41; Christine Day (51.41) and Rosemarie Whyte (51.60), sixth and seventh, respectively, in the women's 400m won by Britain's Christine Ohuruogu in 50.00 flat; and Shermaine Williams, 13.16 for seventh in the 100m hurdles won by Sally Pearson of Australia in 12.65.

Dwight Thomas ran 13.53 for fifth in the men’s 110m hurdles won by David Oliver of the US in 13.20, and Leford Green placed seventh in the men’s 400m hurdles with 49.34.