McLaughlin-Levrone impresses in 100m debut in Philadelphia
The American four-time Olympic champion and world record holder in the 400 metres hurdles, known for her dominance in the one-lap event, was beaten by Jamaica's Ackera Nugent, who won in 11.11 seconds.
Nugent's victory completed a weekend double, securing the women's short hurdles group with a perfect 24 points following her win in Saturday's 100 metres hurdles.
American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden scorched the track with a blistering time of 10.73 seconds in the 100 metres, clinching victory in the short sprints group with 24 points after her 200 metres triumph on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino dominated the women's long sprints group with 24 points, having won the 200 metres in 22.46 seconds.
Britain's Lina Nielsen also impressed, capturing the 400 metres hurdles in 52.60 seconds, while Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji secured victory in the 800 metres with a time of 1:58.94.
In the men's events, American Kenny Bednarek shaved one-hundredth of a second off his personal best in the 100 metres, finishing in 9.86 seconds and topping the short sprints group with 24 points.
Olympic silver medallist Josh Kerr of Britain edged out gold medallist Cole Hocker by just seven-hundredths of a second in a thrilling 1500 metres race, finishing in 3:34.44.
American Trevor Bassitt provided late drama in the 400 metres hurdles, outduelling Alison dos Santos and Chris Robinson to win in 45.47 seconds. He also won the men's long hurdles group with 20 points.
There were also victories for Americans Trey Cunningham in the men's 100 metres short hurdles group with a time of 10.36 seconds, and Nico Young in the men's 3000 metres on his Grand Slam Track debut, while Dominican Alexander Ogando claimed the men's 200 metres in 20.13 seconds.
The Grand Slam Track season will conclude with its fourth meeting in Los Angeles from 27–29 June.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
34 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
'Zii Jia not in distress, cryptic post an artistic expression'
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Sports Council (NSC) has clarified that Lee Zii Jia's recent cryptic post on social media was merely an expression of his artistic interests and not a sign of personal or mental health issues. The independent shuttler caused a stir after sharing a series of black-and-white images on his Instagram account recently, prompting the NSC to reach out to his camp for clarification. NSC director-general Jefri Ngadirin said Zii Jia's management had assured them there was nothing to be concerned about and that the 27-year-old was simply exploring his creative side. "We were informed that the images were a form of artistic expression and not indicative of any distress," said Jefri during the NSC Athlete Sports Day at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Saturday. "Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh also spoke to his team and received the same clarification. "Regardless, Zii Jia remains a national asset and an Olympic bronze medallist. Our doors are always open should he require any support, especially with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in mind. "He's preparing for next month's World Championships, so let's not disrupt his momentum. Let him stay focused." Zii Jia, who is currently world No. 27 but has a protected ranking of No. 9, is recovering from an ankle injury he sustained at the World Tour Finals in December last year. Although he returned to action in March at the Orleans Masters and All England, the shuttler admitted he had rushed back and opted to take more time off for rehabilitation. He is expected to make his next appearance at the Japan Open, beginning July 15. While Zii Jia is not part of any official NSC programme, the council has assisted him in the past, including during a tournament in Paris. "He has his own rehab team, but should he need additional help, we're always ready to step in," said Jefri. Meanwhile, Jefri also addressed diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri's recent decision to take a break from the sport, saying the NSC respects her wishes and will continue to support her, both physically and mentally, when she is ready to return.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Rivals ready to rock as fans flood in for Tour de France opener
LILLE, France: A frantic fight for the first overall leader's yellow jersey will mark the start of cycling's Tour de France when the much anticipated 2025 edition races out of Lille in a carnival atmosphere on Saturday. Title contenders Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard were promising to steer clear of any scrapes to avoid picking up an early injury in the 21-day excursion around France. Instead sprinters such as Belgium's Jasper Philipsen and Italian Jonathan Milan are the men to beat on a flat but frenetic opening run around Lille, where partying fans have been gathering this week. After starts in Florence, Bilbao and Copenhagen, and with upcoming editions in Barcelona and Edinburgh, cycling's most prestigious race has an old school itinerary this year raced exclusively in France and favouring climbers. But with the race starting in the northern city of Lille, fans from cycling-mad Belgium have been flooding across the nearby border. They have come to cheer on Remco Evenepoel in his bid to reach further than his third man billing. "I'll go all in all the way," promised the double Olympic champion. Often described as the most beautiful stadium in the world, the Tour route roves across the north coast to the west of Brittany, before heading south through the Massif Central and the first mountain stage on day 10. "Everybody knows that's when the real race begins," said Evenepoel. Team UAE's Pogacar starts as red-hot favourite with fans and bookmakers alike, and he can silence any remaining doubters by beating arch-rival Vingegaard of Visma. Pogacar has won three Tour de France and has 99 professional wins, so will almost certainly hit his century here, maybe in the first week. "Jonas might be stronger in the mountains, so I'd better get ahead a bit early on with some bonus seconds," he said. Glimpses of Pogacar and Vingegaard going head-to-head on the Alpine slopes or along the panoramic roads of the French Riviera provide tension, drama and sporting rivalry as enthralling as any involving the old-time legends. Vingegaard tends to focus on a single-mission strategy, awaiting one big moment to spring a deeply considered killer move at a meticulously chosen spot. Visma team boss Grischa Niermann insisted Friday his team had come to win, but both he and Vingegaard were keeping mum about what their plan was. "I'm on the highest level that I've ever been," said Vingegaard, the 2022 and 2023 winner. "If we didn't think we could win, we wouldn't be sat here," said Niermann. Pogacar certainly seemed relaxed when he spoke to the press at the Lille opera house. "The last five years have been intense between me and Jonas," Pogacar said. "It's a great competition and rivalry and it will be interesting to see if the title changes hands again." The volcanoes of the Puy de Dome present the first mountains as late as stage 10, with two more colossal climb days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps. But before any dash towards the eventual finish line on the Champs-Elysees there is one final twist. A last-minute addition to the 2025 route is a nod to the 2024 Olympic Games road race, which drew vast crowds to the old Parisian neighbourhood of Montmartre. On the final day a cauldron of noise up the narrow cobbled climb to the Sacre-Coeur Basilica provides one last obstacle, after which the winner will be crowned. — AFP
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Kipyegon, Duplantis, Thompson highlight Eugene Diamond League
EUGENE, United States: Faith Kipyegon's return to the 1,500m, Armand Duplantis's bid for a 13th pole vault world record and 100m fields featuring Kishane Thompson, Julien Alfred and Sha'Carri Richardson promise fireworks at the Eugene Diamond League meeting on the Fourth of July weekend. Kipyegon will be back on track in the 1,500m in the wake of her unsuccessful bid to become the first woman to break the four-minute barrier in the Mile in Paris last week. The 31-year-old Kenyan is slated to compete for the first time this season over 1,500m – the event in which she is a three-time Olympic gold medallist and triple world champion. She's undefeated in finals at the distance for 20 races – a streak stretching back to June 2021 in Rome. In Oregon, she'll take on a loaded field that includes the top-four finishers from the 2024 Paris Olympics – Kipyegon herself, Jessica Hull, Georgia Bell and Diribe Welteji. Sweden's Duplantis, meanwhile, will target another world record three weeks after lowering the pole vault world mark for the 12th time with a clearance of 6.28m in Stockholm. Duplantis has set two world records at Eugene's Hayward Field, claiming his first outdoor world title there in 2022 (6.21m) and again at the 2023 Diamond League Finals (6.23m) "It would mean a lot, for sure," he said. "It's going to be pretty stacked, like it usually is, super historic meet, super historic track, special meet for me and my family – my father won the Prefontaine Classic back in 1992." The women's 100m will see the first reunion of the Paris Olympic podium featuring gold medallist Alfred of Saint Lucia, silver medallist Richardson and bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. The showdown will help gauge the progress of Jefferson-Wooden, who clocked a world-leading 10.73sec at a Grand Slam Track meeting in New York in June. Alfred was a convincing winner in Stockholm in 10.75 while Richardson has raced just once this season, posting an 11.47 in Tokyo in May, and will be aiming to sharpen up before the US trials for the World Championships – which will be held in Tokyo on September 13-21. In the men's 100m, all eyes will be on Jamaica's Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, who clocked a blistering 9.75sec at the Jamaican trials to become the sixth-fastest man in history and the quickest in the last decade. — AFP
