Alfred steals shine from Jamaican quartet in Budapest

Jamaican athletes failed to secure a victory at yesterday’s Gyulai Istvan Memorial Hungarian Athletics Grand Prix, a World Continental Tour Gold meet, where Tina Clayton, Rushell Clayto, and Rajindra Campbell were the best-placed Jamaicans after finishing second in their respective events.
In what was billed as the race of the meet, the women’s 100 metres, which included four Jamaicans, St Lucia’s Julien Alfred stole the show. 
Coming off a brilliant 21.51-second clocking to win the women’s 200 metres a few days earlier at the Monaco Diamond League, she blew away the field to win in a season’s best 10.87 seconds, improving on her previous best of 10.93. In doing so, she avenged her World Championships 100m defeat to Tina Clayton, where she had finished behind the Jamaican in third.
Clayton ended second in 10.97, and Brianna Lyston closed out the top three in 11.01. The other Jamaicans in the event, Elaine Thompson-Herah and Jonielle Smith, finished fourth in 11.04 and sixth in 11.12, respectively. Former Jamaican athlete Christania Williams, now representing Austria, was seventh in 11.28.
Two-time World Championships bronze medallist Rushell Clayton continued her good form this season in the women’s 400m hurdles with a second-place finish in 53.34 seconds. She was beaten by American Jasmine Jones, who won in 52.91, while Shiann Salmon finished fourth with a season’s best 54.81.
Jamaica’s other runner-up finish came in the men’s shot put, where the consistent Rajindra Campbell produced a throw of 21.52 metres. Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri won with 22.04m.
There were also top-three finishes from Ackeem Blake and Ackelia Smith. Blake was second in the men’s 100m in 10.04 seconds. Fellow Jamaicans Nishion Ebanks was joint fourth in 10.05, and Rohan Watson finished seventh in 10.16. Emmanuel Eseme of Cameroon won the event in 9.99.
World Championships representative Ackelia Smith finished third in the women’s long jump with 6.67 metres. The United States claimed the top two places, with Monae’ Nichols winning with 6.88 and Claire Bryant second with 6.72m.
There were also encouraging performances from Kerrica Hill, Lamara Distin, Navasky Anderson, and Wayne Pinnock, who all finished fourth in their respective events.
Hill continued her steady improvement in the women’s 100m hurdles, registering a personal best 12.50 seconds. Masai Russell of the United States continued her winning streak by taking the event in 12.33, while fellow Americans Rayniah Jones (12.47) and Alaysha Johnson (12.49) completed a clean sweep of the podium.
Anderson finished fourth in the men’s 800m with a season’s best 1:43.62. Distin cleared 1.94 metres for fourth in the women’s high jump, while Pinnock leapt 8.08 metres for fourth in the men’s long jump. Fellow Jamaican Nikaoli Williams was sixth with 7.88 as world leader Miltiadis Tentoglou continued his dominance with a winning leap of 8.33.
Other Jamaicans competing at the meet included Gary Card, who finished fifth in the men’s 200m in 20.28, Michael Campbell, eighth in 20.81, and Dominic Williams, ninth in 21.22. 
In the women’s 200m, Nickisha Pryce was sixth in 22.80, while Krystal Sloley finished seventh in 23.40. In the men’s 110m hurdles, Rasheed Broadbell placed sixth in 13.25, Tyler Mason was seventh in 13.38, and Orlando Bennett finished eighth in 13.40. New world record holder Ja kobe Tharp of the United States bounced back from a loss in his last race to win in an impressive 12.85.