Diamond League: Andre De Grasse runs season best, wins 100 at Oslo
Canadian clocks 10.07 seconds, rebounds from last-place finish at Eugene meet
Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse ran a season-best 10.07 seconds to win the men's 100 metres at the Bislett Games on a cool, damp Thursday evening in Oslo, Norway.
The 21-year-old Markham, Ont., runner ran a wind-aided 10.05 two weeks ago, finishing last against a stronger field at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregon.
"I ran my season best as I wanted," De Grasse said. "In next races I hope for more improvements. Next should be definitely a sub-10 seconds."
De Grasse is on a roll after clocking 20.16 to capture the 200 a week ago at a Diamond League meet in Birmingham, England.
Americans Michael Rodgers, Dentarius Locke and Ameer Webb finished 2-3-4 in 10.09, 10.12 and 10.18, respectively. Webb defeated De Grasse in April in the 100 at the Mount SAC Relays in California and won last week's 200 at the Golden Gala Rome.
Meanwhile, fellow Canadian Shawn Barber dropped to 0-4 against French rival Renaud Lavillenie in men's pole vault.
Barber finished second, clearing 5.73 metres but missed all three attempts at 5.80. That was the winning height for Lavillenie, the world record holder who has won 11 of 13 head-to-head matches against Barber.
They also competed two weeks ago in Eugene, with both men clearing 5.81 but Lavillenie had fewer misses.
5.73m for 2nd to <a href="https://twitter.com/airlavillenie">@airlavillenie</a>. Not my best performance but many things to learn. Every day we move forward. 💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoadToRio?src=hash">#RoadToRio</a>
—@vaultbarberIn other action, Christabel Nettey of Surrey, B.C., was second in women's long jump with a leap of 6.68 metres, matching her effort in Eugene, where she placed fifth. Ivana Spanovic of Serbia won Thursday's event with a jump of 6.94 while Shara Proctor of Great Britain was third with a season-best 6.67.
The 25-year-old Nettey recorded a season best of 6.75 in Shanghai, China, in mid-May.
Other Canadian results Thursday:
- Tim Nedow of Brockville, Ont., finished fourth in the men's shot put with a throw of 20.40 metres to equal his showing at a Diamond League competition in Shanghai, China in mid-May. Two weeks ago, he was seventh in a 10-man field at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League in Eugene, Oregon with a throw of 20.20.
- Kimberly Hyacinthe wasn't able to pose a threat to Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands, who cruised to victory in the women's 200 in a world-leading 21.93 seconds. The world champion's time is also a Diamond League record and broke Gwen Torrence's 22-year-old meet mark. "In these conditions to run under 22 seconds is very special for me," Schippers said. "The last 50 metres were very tough." Hyacinthe, who hails from Montreal, was fifth in 23.13, not far off her SB of 23.02, set at the Pure Athletics Elite Meet in Florida on May 14.
It used to be Dutch speed skaters who went fast in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bislet?src=hash">#Bislet</a>. Today it is <a href="https://twitter.com/dafneschippers">@dafneschippers</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/BislettGames">@BislettGames</a> <a href="https://t.co/uNUVJ0KQOJ">pic.twitter.com/uNUVJ0KQOJ</a>
—@NLinNorwayDiamond League on CBC Sports
CBC Sports will provide live streaming coverage of all 14 Diamond League meets this season at CBCSports.ca and via the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices. TV coverage will be featured as part of the network's Road To The Olympic Games weekend broadcasts throughout the season.
The following is a list of upcoming Diamond League meets on CBCSports.ca and the CBC Sports app:
- Stockholm (June 16, 2 p.m. ET)
- Monaco (July 15, 2 p.m. ET)
- London (July 22-23, 3 p.m., 10 a.m. ET)
- Lausanne (Aug. 25, 2 p.m. ET)
- Paris (Aug. 27, 2 p.m. ET)
- Zurich (Sept. 1, 2 p.m. ET)
- Brussels (Sept. 9, 2 p.m. ET)
With files from The Associated Press