LAUSANNE (Reuters) – American Aleia Hobbs won the women’s 100 metres at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, beating Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson in a photo finish on Friday.
Hobbs won in 10.87 seconds ahead of Jackson (10.88) while Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou was third (10.89).
Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson-Herah, who had won in Eugene and Rabat, was disqualified for a false start while compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a three-times winner this year, pulled out of the final due to a hamstring injury.
Hobbs is only the second non-Jamaican sprinter to win a women’s 100m title in the Diamond League this year after Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith in Birmingham.
“I had a good start today and I know that if I start well I can get great times. I’m happy with the 10.87, it’s another sub-10.9 for me,” Hobbs said.
“This is my first time running in Lausanne. Funnily enough, I was supposed to make my professional debut here a few years ago and I got injured and couldn’t race so it’s great to finally be able to run on this track.”
In the men’s 200m, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Noah Lyles ran a great bend to win his third Diamond League title of the season with a time of 19.56 seconds.
He beat compatriot Michael Norman by two-tenths of a second in an American one-two while Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago was third.
India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra returned to winning ways in the men’s javelin following his silver at the world championships last month. His mark of 89.08 metres with his first throw was enough for victory.
Chopra was forced to skip the Commonwealth Games earlier this month due to injury and his mark was well ahead of the second-placed Czech Republic’s Jakub Valdeich (85.88m) and American Curtis Thompson (83.72m).
“I’m delighted with my result tonight, 89 metres is a great performance,” Chopra said. “I am specially pleased as I’m coming back from an injury and tonight was a good indicator that I’ve recovered well.
“I had to skip the Commonwealth Games due to injury and I was a bit nervous. Tonight has given me a lot of confidence to finish the season on a high.”
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
