By Amy Tennery
July 4 (Reuters) – Melissa Jefferson-Wooden edged Sha’Carri Richardson in a thrilling photo finish to win the women’s 100 metres at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, while Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi stunned world leader Oblique Seville in the men’s race.
Richardson is known for her extraordinary closing speed but could not hold off reigning world champion Jefferson-Wooden, who charged down the final metres to break the tape in 10.78 and win by one hundredth of a second in Eugene.
Twenty-year-old Adaejah Hodge from the British Virgin Islands took third in 10.80.
“It was a fight literally to the finish but I wanted it more,” said Jefferson-Wooden.
Jamaican world leader Seville got out of the blocks well but could not match Ajayi’s (9.84) acceleration at the 50-metre mark and finished five hundredths of a second slower on the men’s side. American Christian Coleman was third in 9.95.
“I’ve been consistent,” said Ajayi. “That was part of my goal. Stay on top of it all, stay consistent, come out here and do what I have to do and just execute my race.”
AMERICAN TEENAGER UPSETS OLYMPIC CHAMPION TEBOGO
A few thrilling upsets highlighted the Diamond League meeting, one of the marquee events on the annual U.S. athletics calendar, as 18-year-old Tate Taylor took down Botswana’s reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo in the men’s 200m.
Fresh out of high school, American Taylor was running into the wind as he crossed the line 0.18 seconds clear of the rest of the field in 19.75, in a technically perfect run.
“I just can’t really believe it,” said Taylor, who obliterated his own previous personal best of 19.94. “I wasn’t going to expect to win this race.”
Australian Cameron Myers, 20, held off a stacked field to win the mile race in a scorching 3:46.06, running all by himself down the final straight as he crossed the line 0.55 seconds ahead of American 1,500m bronze Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse.
American Nikki Hiltz set a world lead to win the women’s mile in 4:17.49, crossing the line ahead of Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi (4:17.62), with three-times 1,500m Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon finishing a surprise third in 4:17.80.
Ja’Kobe Tharp shocked the track world last month when he shattered U.S. compatriot Aries Merritt’s 14-year-old record in the 110m hurdles in Eugene. But he gave up the spotlight on the same springy Hayward Field track on Saturday when he lost energy after a fine start to finish 0.05 seconds behind American Jamal Britt (12.86).
U.S. Olympic champion Masai Russell swatted aside world-record holder Tobi Amusan in the 100m hurdles, breaking the tape a tenth of a second ahead of the Nigerian in 12.24.
Kenya’s world champion Lilian Odira outlasted Britain’s Olympic winner Keely Hodgkinson (1:56.73) down the final 100 metres to win the women’s 800m in 1:56.19.
Hodgkinson, who has made no secret of her ambition to break the 800m world record, withdrew from the 400m at U.K. Athletics Championships late last month but later said she was healthy.
Botswana’s 400m world champion Busang Collen Kebinatshipi won his signature event in 44 seconds flat after chasing down hurdles Olympic gold medallist Rai Benjamin (44.11) on the final straight.
DAVIS-WOODHALL AND JACKSON HIGHLIGHT FIELD EVENTS
In the field events, Olympic and world champion Tara Davis-Woodhall leapt 7.13 metres to win the long jump, while twice world champion Chase Jackson won the women’s shot put with 20.56 metres on her first attempt.
China’s Zhang Jiale (77.94) bested Canada’s Olympic champion Camryn Rogers (77.81) in the women’s hammer throw.
Lithuanian silver medallist Mykolas Alekna (71.06) won the men’s discus while Italian Leonardo Fabbri (22.74) won the men’s shot put.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; editing by Clare Fallon)
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