Last week in Eugene Kendra Harrison set a new American record and a new Diamond League record in the 100m hurdles. This week in Birmingham, England she only set a new meet record with a time of 12.46. After leading an all-American top five last week Harrison was only the first of four Americans atop the standings this time. Brianna Rollins was once again in second place but this time third place went to Kristi Castlin and fourth went to Dawn Harper-Nelson, up from eighth in Eugene and posting a season best time. Harrison wasn’t the only American to win for the second time in the Diamond League this year as Tia Brooks rebounded in the shot put with a personal best 19.73m to win after a fifth place finish in Rome. Jillian Camarena-Williams was fifth for the US.
Marquise Goodwin got his first win of the year in the long jump with an 8.42m jump that bested fellow American Michael Hartfield. Goodwin has now gone third-second-first over the last three meets. Another first time winner was Cassandra Tate, who had been second in the 400m hurdles in Rabat but finished fourth in that event in Rome. Tate’s season best time of 54.57 just barely won on a photo finish. The top two were followed by Georganne Moline and Dalilah Muhammad as they finished third and fourth. Another improved finish for the US came from English Gardner in the 100m. Gardner was second in Rome but jumped up to win this week posting the same top time of 11.02 in both a heat and the final. Tianna Bartoletta was third for the US in the event.
Sean McLean finished third in the 200m for his first top three finish of the year and Ameer Webb couldn’t grab his third top-two finish as he came in fifth. Vernon Norwood also finished a season best third in the 400m while Erik Sowinski did the same with a personal best in a non-Diamond League 600m race. Another non-Diamond League race that was held was a 100m race that didn’t feature Justin Gatlin but did see Michael Rodgers finish second with fellow Americans McLean and Isiah Young in fourth and fifth. Erik Kynard finished second for the second straight time in the high jump as a season best jump of 2.35m was only good enough for second.
In the pole vault Katie Nageotte finished sixth clearing 4.50m. Sixth was also where Brittany Borman finished in the javelin throw. Rodney Brown was slightly better finishing fifth in the discus throw while Chanelle Price was another sixth place finisher in the 800m despite a season best performance.
The next Diamond League event will be Thursday in Oslo with another in Stockholm a week later. That will wrap up the initial eight events in six weeks portion of the Diamond League with just six more remaining. There will be two in July, three in an eight day span to end August and begin September, and then one last one in Brussels September 9th.
Previous Diamond League Coverage:
Birmingham Preview
