media_artricles :: 2018

Richards 2nd in Prefontaine Classic 200m

T&T's sprinting sensation Jereem Richards raced to second place in the Men's 200 metres at the Diamond League's 44th Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon in the United States, yesterday.

Running in lane five, the Commonwealth Games champion sprinted past Canadian Aaron Brown, who was in lane four, on the straightaway and finished in a time of 20.05. Brown set a season-best time of 20.07 for a third-place finish with American Noah Lyles winning in a world-leading and personal-best 19.69.

In other results, South Africa's Caster Semenya set a meet record in the 800m while controversy swirls about a rule that could limit her from competing at the distance.

Semenya defended her title in the event in 1:55.92 seconds, which is also the top mark in the world this year. American Ajee Wilson was second in 1:56.86.

Semenya is the two-time Olympic and three-time world champion in the 800m. But she could be impacted in the future by a new rule that has drawn criticism.

The IAAF, track and field's international governing body, announced last month that starting on Nov. 1 it will limit entry for all international events from 400m through the mile to women with testosterone levels below a specified level. The IAAF maintains that women with unusually high testosterone levels have a competitive advantage over other women.

South Africa has said it may challenge the hyperandrogenism rule in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Semenya was among the sport's highest-profile athletes at the only US stop on the international Diamond League series.

Ronnie Baker won the men's 100m in a wind-assisted 9.78 seconds, besting fellow American Christian Coleman in second in breezy but sunny conditions.

Coleman, who holds the world record in the 60, won both the 100m and 200m last year at the NCAA championships in Eugene and claimed the silver medal in the even at last year's world championship. He was making his outdoor debut in the Pre.

On the women's side, a pair of Ivory Coast athletes topped the podium in the 100m. Marie Josee Ta Lou was first in 10.88, followed by Murielle Ahoure in 10.90.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas won the 400m in 49.52. Organisers announced on Friday that Allyson Felix had withdrawn from the race for undisclosed reasons.

Justin Gatlin had been scheduled to run in the 100m on the men's side, but withdrew because of hamstring tightness.

The next Diamond League stop is May 31 in Rome.

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