Monday, September 16, 2024

20 THE STAR SPORTS • Monday, September 16, 2024 @JamaicaStar www.facebook.com/JamaicaStar • www.jamaica-star.com BRUSSELS, Belgium: A nderson Peters of Grenada and Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho- Quinn brought the curtain down at the two-day Diamond League final here on Saturday with excellent performances in their respective events. Peters’ opening throw of 87.87 metres proved just enough to win the men’s javelin, with Neeraj Chopra of India a close second with 87.86 metres. Germany’s Julian Weber (85.97m) finished third. Meanwhile, Camacho-Quinn, fresh from capturing bronze at the Paris Olympics, blazed to victory in the women’s 100-metre hurdles in 12.38 seconds, ahead of Nadine Fisherman of the Netherlands (12.54) and Ackera Nugent of Jamaica, who was third in 12.55 seconds. Another Jamaican, Danielle Williams, was fifth in 12.62 seconds. There were also podium finishes for Jamaica’s Shiann Salmon and Rajindra Campbell, as well as Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic on Saturday’s final day. Salmon clocked 53.99 seconds to finish third in the women’s 400-metre hurdles behind Femke Bol (52.45), who secured a third consecutive Diamond League title, with Anna Cockrell of the USA second in 53.71. Campbell placed third in the men’s shot put with a throw of 21.95 metres. The event was won by Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, who threw a meet record of 22.98, with American Ryan Crouser second (22.79). Ogando also grabbed bronze in the men’s 200 metres in 19.97 seconds, behind eventual winner Kenneth Bednarek of the USA (19.67), who beat out Olympic gold medallist, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo (19.80) into second. In other results, Jamaicans Roshawn Clarke (49.08) and Malik James-King (49.37) were fifth and sixth, respectively, in the men’s 400 metres hurdles, while compatriot Romaine Beckford settled for fourth in the men’s high jump with his effort measured at 2.22 metres. Meanwhile, on Friday’s first day of the Diamond League Finals, Caribbean athletes Julien Alfred, Ackeem Blake, Tajay Gayle, and Marileidy Paulino ended their season as champions. St Lucia’s Alfred avenged her recent defeat to Sha’Carri Richardson by winning the women’s 100m. Alfred crossed the line in 10.88 seconds, narrowly beating Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who clocked 10.92. Côte d’Ivoire’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou secured third in 11.05, while Richardson, who had edged Alfred in Zurich, struggled and finished eighth in 11.23. Jamaica’s Blake delivered one of the night’s best performances, winning the men’s 100m in 9.93 seconds. In a stacked field that included Fred Kerley, Christian Coleman and Akani Simbine, Blake was the only sprinter to dip under 10 seconds. Coleman finished second in 10.00, with Kerley taking third in 10.01. Dominican Republic’s Paulino, the Olympic 400m champion, crossed the line in 49.45 seconds. The USA’s Alexis Holmes finished second in 50.32, with Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke third in 50.96. In the women’s invitational 400m, Jamaica’s Stacey-Ann Williams secured second place in 50.53. The race was won by Sydney McLaughlin- Levrone in 49.11, while Romania’s Andrea Miklos finished third in 51.16. Stephenie-Ann McPherson, closing out her remarkable career, finished fourth in her final Diamond League race, clocking 51.24. In the men’s 400m, Grenadian icon Kirani James finished second in 44.63, just behind Great Britain’s Charles Dobson, who won in 44.49. Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga placed third with a time of 44.69. Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle capped his season with a triumphant leap in the men’s long jump, reaching a season-best 8.28m to take the title; while Cuba’s Leyanis Perez Hernandez secured the women’s triple jump title with 14.37m, as Jamaica’s Shanieka Ricketts claimed silver with a final jump of 14.22m, and compatriot Ackelia Smith took bronze with 14.11m. Jamaica’s Natoya Goule-Toppin fought her way to third in the women’s 800m, finishing in 1:58.94. Kenya’s Mary Moraa won the race in 1:56.56, while Great Britain’s Georgia Bell placed second in 1:57.50. – CMC Caribbean athletes strike gold at Diamond League finals BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Q uinton de Kock scored the second century of this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 cricket competition, as the Barbados Royals returned to winning ways with a 32-run win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors at Kensington Oval here on Saturday night. Batting at the top of the order, the South African smashed 115 runs from 68 balls and was the mainstay of the Royals’ mammoth 205 for six from their 20 overs. In reply, the Amazon Warriors never seriously threatened their target and eventually ended on 173 for five from the allotted overs. The win put the Royals at the top of the CPL table with four wins from their five matches, while relegating the Amazon Warriors (3-1) to second position. De Kock came into stride during an 82-run partnership for the second wicket with Alick Athanaze, who scored a pedestrian 16 from 19 balls. He hit pacer Shamar Joseph for a six and two fours in the seventh over that yielded 17 runs. The diminutive batsman brought up his 50 off 34 balls when he clobbered offspinner Kevin Sinclair for a huge six and a four in the 10th over, which saw the Royals accelerate to 94 for one. Athanaze, skipper Rovman Powell (7) and David Miller (1) fell in quick succession, as the Royals slipped to 140 for four, but it did nothing to interrupt de Kock’s majestic knock. He smashed medium pacer Raymon Reifer for two sixes in the 14th over, and two overs later he hit the same bowler for two more boundaries to move into the 90s. De Kock brought up his 100 after facing 60 balls when he punched Reifer to the long on boundary for a single in the same over. In total, he struck nine sixes and eight fours in his innings. Jason Holder also provided a late boost, hitting three sixes and one four in an unbeaten knock of 28 that required just 10 balls. Reifer ended with 3-50, while Pretorius took 2-27. Having to score at over 10 runs an over, the Amazon Warriors never recovered from the loss of two early wickets. Several of their batsmen got starts, including Shai Hope, who top-scored with 40, while Moeen Ali scored a brisk 33, Keemo Paul finished unbeaten on 30, and Shimron Hetmyer made 28. Spinner Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with 3-42, while Holder took 2-32. – CMC De Kock century lifts Royals to top of CPL table Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake (right) powers to victory in the men’s 100 metres at the Diamond League finals in Brussels, Belgium on Friday. Blake clocked 9.93 seconds. At left is American Fred Kerley who placed third in 10.01. C ourtesy of W orld A thletiCs Quinton de Kock A shley A llen - CPl t20