Gayle, Campbell land silver at Zurich Diamond League

Tajay Gayle and Rajindra Campbell produced Jamaica’s best performances at yesterday’s Wanda Diamond League meeting in Zurich, both finishing second in their respective field events on a night highlighted by two spectacular world records in the hurdles.

Gayle was second in the men’s long jump with a season-best 8.43 metres, while Campbell took the runner-up spot in the men’s shot put with 22.22m.

Gayle, the 2019 World champion, produced a big effort to secure second place, continuing his impressive form as he seeks to finish the Diamond League season strongly.

Countryman Wayne Pinnock was third with 8.33m.

Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglou won with a season’s best 8.45m.

Campbell was equally impressive in the shot put, taking second place against a strong international field. The Olympic bronze medallist entered Zurich with a personal and Jamaican national record of 22.44m, set in Zagreb in June. Yesterday, he produced 22.22m.

American Jordan Geist won with a personal best 22.53m, while Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri was third with 22.16m.

Rushell Clayton maintained her good form in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing third in 53.17 seconds.

American Anna Cockrell produced a meeting record and world-leading time of 52.13 seconds for the win, while countrywoman Dalilah Muhammad was second in a season’s best 53.16.

The Zurich meeting, held at the Letzigrund Stadium, was dominated by world record performances.

Brazilian Alison dos Santos produced the first record, in the men’s 400m hurdles, clocking 45.80 seconds to erase Norwegian Karsten Warholm’s previous world record of 45.94, set at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Warholm had to settle for second in 46.69.

American Masai Russell then followed with a world record in the women’s 100m hurdles, stopping the clock at 12.09 seconds.

Russell lowered the previous world record of 12.12 seconds, set by Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan in 2022.

Amusan was second in a season’s best 12.23, while Jamaica’s Danielle Williams and Ackera Nugent finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in 12.56 and 12.69 seconds.

St Lucia’s Olympic champion, Julien Alfred, ended the dominance of World champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in the women’s 100m, winning in a national-record 10.70 seconds.

Jefferson-Wooden, whose last defeat in the event came at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, when she ended third, was second in the same time, while American Sha’Carri Richardson was third in 10.97.

Tina Clayton was the best Jamaican, finishing fourth in 10.98 seconds, with Brianna Lyston sixth in 11.13 and Jonielle Smith seventh in 11.14.

Lamara Distin finished fourth in the women’s high jump with a season’s best 1.96m, Bryan Levell was sixth in the men’s 200m in 20.32 seconds, and Navasky Anderson seventh in the men’s non-Diamond League 800m in 1:44.31.

Attention now turns to Brussels, where the leading athletes will battle for Diamond League titles and the lucrative championship prizes at the Diamond League finals, on September 4-5.