By Reuters
Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah won the women’s 100 metres in the second-fastest time ever at the Eugene Diamond League, crossing the finishing line in 10.54 seconds on Saturday, Reuters reported.
According to the report, Thompson-Herah, who completed a 100m-200m double for a second successive Olympics in Tokyo, said she surprised even herself at Hayward Field, beating Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by nearly two-tenths of a second. Shericka Jackson finished third to repeat the Jamaicans’ Tokyo podium sweep.
American Florence Griffith-Joyner is the only woman to have clocked a faster time over the distance, having set the world record of 10.49 seconds in 1988.
Thompson-Herah was confident she could beat that time – and break the 200m record as well.
“I have so much more in me, so yes, it’s possible,” she said.
In the men’s 100m event, Tokyo bronze medallist Andre de Grasse won in a wind-aided 9.74, with Americans Fred Kerley and Ronnie Baker finishing in 9.78 and 9.82, respectively.
The meet saw speedy performances across the board, as American Noah Lyles surged out of the turn to win the men’s 200 metres in a world-leading 19.52 seconds after finishing a disappointing third in Tokyo.
Olympic champion Athing Mu won the women’s 800 metres in 1:55.04, her last race of the season in which she also won gold in the 4×400 relay.
With her key rival and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin absent, Tokyo silver medallist Dalilah Muhammad made light work of the 400 metres hurdles, winning by more than one second in 52.77.
In the women’s 3,000-metre steeplechase, Kenya’s Norah Jeruto put up a world-leading 8:53.65 to win, as American Courtney Frerichs took second in 8:57.77 after winning silver in Tokyo.