Hobbs denies Jackson on her Lausanne debut

LAUSANNE • Aleia Hobbs won the women's 100m at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne on Friday, beating Jamaica's Shericka Jackson in a photo finish.

The American won in 10.87 seconds, ahead of Jackson (10.88sec) while Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou was third (10.89sec).

Jamaica's Elaine Thompson-Herah, who had won the event at the Eugene and Rabat Diamond League meets, was disqualified for a false start.

Her compatriot and world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a three-time winner on the circuit this year, pulled out of the final with a hamstring injury.

Hobbs is only the second non-Jamaican sprinter to win a women's 100m title in the Diamond League this season, after Britain's Dina Asher-Smith in Birmingham.

"I had a good start today and I know that if I start well I can get great times. I'm happy with the 10.87, it's another sub-10.9 for me," she said. "This is my first time running in Lausanne. Funnily enough, I was supposed to make my professional debut here a few years ago and I got injured and couldn't race so it's great to finally be able to run on this track."

In the men's 200m, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Noah Lyles ran a great bend to win his third Diamond League title of the season in 19.56sec.

He beat Michael Norman by two-tenths of a second in an American one-two finish while Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago was third (19.95sec).

"I would have taken anything under 19.60, so 19.56 is all right for tonight," said Lyles.

"I am in a good physical and mental space and very capable of producing some good times this year."

In the other events, Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen set a world-leading time of 3min 29.05sec as he won the 1,500m ahead of Kenya's Abel Kipsang.

Dutchwoman Femke Bol smashed the meet record in 52.95sec to win the 400m hurdles.

India's Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra returned to winning ways in the men's javelin, following his silver at the world championships last month. His first throw of 89.08m was enough for victory.

Chopra was forced to skip the Commonwealth Games earlier this month due to injury.

His mark was well ahead of the Czech Republic's Jakub Vadlejch (85.88m) and American Curtis Thompson (83.72m).

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE