media_artricles :: 2014

Thompson finishes sixth in Diamond League Walcott in javelin action today

T&T Olympian Richard Thompson, the third ranked Diamond League athlete placed sixth, behind five athletes who ran their best times of the year, at the ninth leg of the IAAF event, yesterday, in Glasgow, Scotland. In a photo finish, Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmaede clocked 9.97 seconds to win the race, ahead of American Michael Rodgers, who secured the same time. Ashmaede’s compatriot Nesta Carter took third in 9.98 seconds. Unfortunately for Jamaica’s third representative, Yohan Blake, he was forced out after pulling up with a hamstring injury and was carried off the track in a wheelchair.

Also ahead of Thompson were James Dasaolu (10.03) Great Britain and Kim Collins (10.07) of St Kitts and Nevis, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in season best times. The result comes less than a week after Thompson placed second in the Areva meet in Paris, where he clocked 10.08 seconds. That race was won by USA’s Justin Gatlin, who clocked the fastest time in the world this year, 9.80 seconds, to erase Thompson’s previous world leading mark of 9.82 seconds, which he earned in T&T last month. The Diamond League will continue today with one T&T athlete in competition. Olympic gold medalist Keshorn Walcott will contest the men’s javelin from approximately 10am. Walcott’s season best is 84.58m, the shortest distance in the pool of athletes for today’s javelin event.

Top