Shawn Barber can't bounce back from Olympic letdown
Jamaica's Asafa Powell nearing 100 sub-10 performances
Shawn Barber, after a disappointing 10th-place finish at the Olympic Games, couldn't bounce back into top form at Thursday's Diamond League meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The Canadian pole vault record-holder finished fourth, clearing 5.62 metres, well below his 5.93 personal best. Barber fouled twice at 5.72 and a third time at 5.80. Sam Kendricks of the United States won, clearing 5.92.
Melissa Bishop, who also missed the podium as a medal favourite in Rio, had another difficult day, finishing fourth in the women's 800 metres. The Eganville, Ont., native finished in one minute 58.71 seconds, exactly one second behind Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi who won. Niyonsaba won silver in Rio.
Powell nearing 100 sub-10s
Absent Olympic medallists in the men's 100m, Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell won the event in 9.96, his 96th sub-10 performance over the distance, the most in history. Some are expecting Powell to chase the 100 mark, but he's running out of time.
The former world record-holder told his country's media that he will not compete in another Olympics, meaning the 33-year-old will retire without an individual Olympic medal, a stain on an otherwise outstanding career overshadowed in its second half by compatriot Usain Bolt.
Elaine Thompson, the double gold medallist in 100 and 200 in Rio, won the women's 100 in 10.78 with a slight tailwind — just .07 outside her time in the Rio final and .08 behind her world-leading time this season.
It was Thompson's second time down the track after most runners initially ignored a false start gun.
"To be able to produce (10.78) on a second attempt, it's a great time," Thompson said.
Churandy Martina of the Netherlands won the 200 in 19.81, just .03 slower than Bolt ran in the Olympic final.
CBC Sports will be streaming the Diamond League meet in Paris Saturday at 3 p.m. ET.
With files from the Associated Press