Amy Hunt continued her excellent season with second place in the 100m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels, edging former world champion Sha’Carri Richardson in a photo finish.
The Brit finished in 11.06s with Richardson a fraction of a second back in 11.07s, but no-one came remotely close to Jamaica’s Tina Clayton, who shot off the blocks as if rocket-powered and won her first title in 10.93s.
It brought an end to a successful weekend for 24-year-old Hunt, who also took third in the 100m on Friday night.
But there was to be no more success for Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell, who looked tired throughout the 1,500m and faded badly in the closing straight.
It has been a brilliant season for Hunter Bell, who took Commonwealth gold in the 800m before European gold in the 1,500m, but she admitted before the race in Brussels that she was tired after a long season and she could not replicate her heroics from earlier in the summer.
Poland’s Klaudia Kazimierska set a new meeting and national record with a stunning run in a world-leading time of 3:54.05, with Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi finishing strongly to overhaul Australian Jess Hull for second.
Hunter Bell drifted through the field shortly after the bell but did not react as Kazimierska attacked from a long way out, and although she managed to come up onto Ewoi’s shoulder found she had no response as the front three accelerated away from her. She finished more than two seconds behind the Pole in 3:56.40.
Audrey Werro won the women’s 800m in a meeting record of 1:54.75, but was pushed all the way by Dutch star Femke Broeders-Bol, who nearly had enough to come round the Swiss in what was the closest of their duels this summer.
The 400m hurdles specialist finished second in 1:54.81, with Ethiopia’s Saida Tsehaye third in 1:57.57.
22-year-old Werro took to the front behind the pacemaker, with Broeders-Bol slotting in behind her and Tsehaye on her heels. The three stretched away from the chasing pack before Werro’s pace proved too much for Tsehaye, with Broeders-Bol attempting to come round in the home straight but unable to reel in her rival.
Kenny Bednarek of the USA ran 19.61s to win the men’s 200m in dominant fashion, with Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo well off the pace in fourth at 20.01s.
Sinesipho Dambile was second in 19.89s with Makanakaishe Charamba third in 19.99.
Masai Russell reeled in Devynne Charlton after an electric start by the Bahamian in the 100m hurdles, with the American coming through to win in a new meeting record of 12.20s, while Charlton set a national record of 12.33s, prompting celebrations from both athletes.
Brazilian star Alison dos Santos produced an imperious performance in the 400m hurdles, winning in 46.70s to eclipse American Andre Phillips’ meeting record of 47.51, which was set on this day exactly 40 years ago and also in Brussels.
