KINGSTON, Jamaica – The final day of the two-day Diamond League final in Brussels saw notable performances from Jamaican athletes, with hurdlers Ackera Nugent and Shiann Salmon, as well as shot putter Rajindra Campbell, delivering impressive results.
Despite no additional titles being secured on Saturday, following Ackeem Blake’s victory in the men’s 100m and Tajay Gayle’s triumph in the men’s long jump on Friday, the Jamaicans showcased their competitive edge.
Ackera Nugent, who had been on a four-race winning streak, finished third in the 100m hurdles final with a time of 12.55 seconds. Danielle Williams also competed, securing fifth place with a time of 12.62 seconds. Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn claimed the gold medal with a time of 12.38 seconds, while the Netherlands’ Nadine Visser took second place with 12.54 seconds.
In the men’s shot put, Rajindra Campbell earned a commendable third place with a throw of 21.95 meters. Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri set both a national and meet record with a throw of 22.98 meters, surpassing his own Italian record of 22.95 meters set in May, as well as the previous meet record of 22.61 meters established by American Joe Kovacs in 2022. The USA’s Olympic champion, Ryan Crouser, secured second place with a throw of 22.79 meters.
Shiann Salmon demonstrated resilience in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing third with a time of 53.99 seconds. The event was won by Femke Bol of the Netherlands in 52.45 seconds, narrowly ahead of the American Anna Cockrell who clocked 53.71 seconds. Janieve Russell and Andrenette Knight also competed, finishing seventh and eighth respectively, with times of 55.94 seconds and 56.70 seconds.
In the men’s high jump, Romaine Beckford placed fourth with a clearance of 2.22 meters. After initial struggles, Beckford required all three attempts to clear the opening height of 2.12 meters, eventually progressing to clear 2.17 meters on his first attempt and needing two tries to get over 2.22 meters.
Roshawn Clarke, leading through the eighth hurdle, was affected by a collision, which disrupted his momentum, resulting in a fifth-place finish with a time of 49.08 seconds. Malik James-King followed closely, finishing sixth with 49.37 seconds. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos claimed the Diamond trophy with a time of 47.93 seconds, besting Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (48.20 seconds) and Estonia’s Rasmas Magi (48.26 seconds).
In the men’s 100m invitational, Michael Campbell finished fifth with a time of 10.40 seconds, while Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala took the top spot with a time of 10.07 seconds.
Overall, Jamaican athletes demonstrated strong performances and competitive spirit at the Brussels Diamond League final, with notable finishes and impressive results across multiple events.
