PARIS (AP) — Dawn Harper-Nelson of the United States ran a year-leading 12.44 seconds to win the 100-meter hurdles at the Paris Diamond League meeting on Saturday while Hansle Parchment of Jamaica set the fastest time in the 110 hurdles this season.
Harper-Nelson edged Queen Harrison by 0.02 to better Brianna Rollins’ time of 12.53 set in Rome last month. Olympic champion Sally Pearson had a good start but faded after the halfway point to finish sixth in her return from a hamstring strain.
Parchment ran 12.94 to stun world champion David Oliver and Olympic runner-up Jason Richardson. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, who won in Lausanne on Thursday, wound up second in 13.05.
“I was not thinking to run that fast today,” Parchment said. “Now, I have the feeling I can run even faster. I made some mistakes . I need to improve my technique and keep winning. Still some races to go and then trying to win Commonwealth Games.”
Edwin Cheruiyot Soi, Asbel Kiprop and Sifan Hassan also ran year-best times. Soi won the 5,000 in 12:59.82, Kiprop took the 800 in 1:43.34, and Hassan clocked 3:57.00 in the 1,500.
Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic and Hiwot Ayalew broke meet records. Perkovic threw 68.48 meters in the discus while Ayalew ran 9:11.65 in the 3,000 steeplechase.
Blessing Okagbare ran 22.32 to beat Olympic champion Allyson Felix and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 200.
Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross won the 400 in 50.10. “After three races in the U.S. I felt jet-lagged,” Richards-Ross said, “body was tired, little flat, but the win matters.”
Michael Rodgers took the 100 in 10.00. Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell pulled out of the meet because of injury.
Olympic runner-up Michael Tinsley avenged his loss to Javier Culson in Lausanne two days ago by winning the 400 hurdles in 48.25. Cornel Fredericks finished second and Culson placed third.
Ihab Abdelrahman and Blanka Vlasic also won. Abdelrahman threw 87.10 in the javelin and Vlasic cleared 2.00 in the high jump. Eloyse Lesueur stunned world champion Brittney Reese in the long jump with a leap of 6.92.
The next Diamond League meet is in Glasgow on July 11-12.
AP Photo/Francois Mori
