THE CANADIAN PRESS
ZURICH, Switzerland — Canada’s Priscilla Lopes-Schliep captured gold in the 100-metre hurdles at the Weltklasse Zurich meet, her second consecutive international victory.
The Olympic bronze medallist from Whitby, Ont., recorded a meet record 12.53 seconds– just one-tenth of a second off her world-leading 12.52 she ran to win the London Grand Prix last week.
Germany’s Carolin Nytra was second in 12.69, while American Lolo Jones was third in 12.81.
The 27-year-old Lopes-Schliep has been among the most consistent hurdlers in the world this year. She heads into next week’s IAAF League final in Brussels, Belgium tied with Jones for the lead in her event.
She’ll win a four-carat diamond worth US$80,000 if she finishes atop the standings.
Jeremy Wariner of the United States ran the world’s fastest 400-metre time of the year, clocking 44.13 seconds to take 0.27 off the Jamaica’s Jermaine Gonzales’ best at the Monaco Diamond League meet last month.
"Another world lead, that was my plan," said Wariner, the former Olympic and world champion who has one more race scheduled at Split, Croatia. "I would describe my season as improving with every race. Next year I should be even better."
The American ran in lane three and paced himself off Gonzales, who went out fast from lane four and still led off the final bend.
Wariner went to the front with 60 to go and quickly went clear, earning himself a US$20,000 bonus from Weltklasse organizers for setting a world-leading time.
He also collects $40,000 for winning the season-long points standings in Diamond League 400 races.
Gonzales was second in 44.51 and Angelo Taylor of the U.S. clocked his season’s best of 44.72 in third.
David Oliver of the U.S. failed in his latest attempt to take down Cuban Dayron Robles’ 110 hurdles world record of 12.87.
Oliver didn’t get the best start, but blazed through the middle section and hurled himself over the line in 12.93 — 0.04 outside his national record set in Paris last month.
He rolled to a stop then slapped the ground in frustration.
"I know I’m not the perfect hurdler. That’s why I’m missing the world record," said Oliver, who won his event’s Diamond League title. "I cannot ask for more. I’m running fast times, winning the diamond."
The Weltklasse meet was missing some of track and field’s biggest stars, despite crowning Diamond League champions in 16 events. The remaining 16 discipline finals are staged in Brussels next week.
Tyson Gay skipped the individual 200 race, but ran the third leg of a 4×100 relay for an American quartet which set a world’s best time this year.
Gay, Trell Kimmons, Wallace Spearmon and anchor Michael Rodgers timed 37.45 to beat a Jamaica quartet by 0.31.
With Usain Bolt also missing the 200, after shutting down his season because of a back injury, Spearmon took the spotlight in a meet record time.
Spearmon ran 19.79, his season’s best, to edge Jamaica’s Yohan Blake into second in 19.86. Ryan Bailey of the U.S. ran a personal best 20.10 in third.
Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown won the women’s 100 in a photo finish with Carmelita Jeter of the U.S., as the two women both timed 10.89. Another American, Marshevet Myers, was third in 10.97.
"My shoulder was a little bit in front so I had the feeling just after the line that I could be the winner," Campbell-Brown said.
Jeter said she lost the race being slow out of the blocks, but still earned the season-long title.
"My start was not that good, second part better. I will give the trophy to my parents," Jeter said.
Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica saved her best for last in an excellent season of 400 hurdles races. Her fourth straight Diamond League victory in 53.33 took 0.15 off her personal record, and was more than a second faster than Czech runner-up Zuzana Hejnova.
Christina Obergfoell of Germany set a Weltklasse meet record in the javelin with a winning throw of 67.31.
In a men’s 100 run outside the Diamond League program, America’s Kimmons won in a personal record of 9.95.
— With files from The Associated Press