Two English-speaking Caribbean athletes stunned the London Diamond League with world leading times yesterday, the first day of the two-day meet. Kirani James of Grenada clocked 44.61secs in the men’s individual 400m and Jamaica’s Kaliese Spencer ran 52.79 in the women’s 400m hurdles.
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Spencer, Jamaica
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James, Grenada
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Only 18 years old, James, the 2010 Grenada Sportsman of the Year, made his Diamond League debut going up against seasoned quarter-milers such as Jamaica’s Jermaine Gonzales, Bahamas’ Chris Brown, American Angelo Taylor, and compatriot Rondell Bartholomew and dismissed the field, erasing Bartholomew’s world leading 44.65 with a 44.61 run that sets him up well as a major gold medal contender in Daegu. Gonzales was 2nd in 44.85 and Brown 3rd i
n 45.04.
Earlier in the day, the 24-yr-old Spencer ran a personal best and a fast world leading 52.79 to top her rivals, including her club mate and Olympic and World Champion Melaine Walker, as well as Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic. Hejnova defeated Spencer a month ago at the July 8 Paris Diamond League. Then, at the July 29 Diamond League meet in Stockholm, Spencer raced to a 53.74secs win and meet record to cop the diamond. Yesterday, Walker was 2nd again in 53.90, Perri Shakes-Drayton of Great Britain 3rd in 54.62, and Hejnova 4th in 54.74.
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