Kerley sprints ahead of pack with 'perfect' race
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American Fred Kerley wins the men's 100m in 9.96sec, ahead of compatriot Justin Gatlin and Canada's Andre de Grasse (third) at the Golden Spike meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
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OSTRAVA (Czech Republic) • Fred Kerley underlined his impressive sprinting range by winning the 100m in 9.96 seconds at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet on Wednesday. He took two notable scalps in the shape of fellow American and 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin (10.08) and Canada's Andre De Grasse (10.17) .
Kerley, world bronze medallist over 400m in 2019, posted a 9.91 a month ago, the first time he had gone under 10 seconds, and showed it was no fluke on Wednesday with a controlled run and strong last 20m to leave 39-year-old Gatlin flailing. His 9.91 effort was the second-fastest time so far this season, trailing fellow American Trayvon Bromell's world-leading mark by 0.03sec.
"I feel like it was perfect, I can't complain. It was pretty good," said Kerley, adding that in the run-up to the postponed Tokyo Olympics, he was "just gauging, listening to my training".
He also ran the 200m, finishing second behind compatriot Kenny Bednarek, who clocked 19.93sec.
American Sha'Carri Richardson, 21, won the women's 200m in 22.35sec, while Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, 20, set a world-leading time of 26min 33.93sec in the 10,000m, the seventh-fastest race of all time.
"I did not expect such a time, I was hoping for something under 27," he said. "The seventh time in history is something I really did not even think about."
Ethiopia's Getnet Wale set a world-leading time of 8:09.47 in the 3,000m steeplechase, while world-record holder Armand Duplantis won the pole vault with an effort of 5.90m, beating American two-time world champion Sam Kendricks by five centimetres.
"I think of course I can jump higher than 5.90 but today, I just never really got the rhythm and I just didn't really jump that well," the 21-year-old Swede, who is the favourite for Tokyo, said.
But he put on a conciliatory tone when asked about the prospects for his Olympic debut: "I have a lot of time for the Olympics. I think I'm in good shape right now."
Burkina Faso's Fabrice Hugues Zango won the triple jump with a 17.20m effort, almost a metre behind his 18.07m indoor world record from earlier this year.
Having used the Golden Spike as an outdoor test, the top athletes will now move to Gateshead, England for Sunday's Diamond League opener in the run-up to the July 23-Aug 8 Olympics.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
