Jamaican trio on fire at Silesia Diamond League

Jamaicans were treated to a hat-trick of wins at the Silesia Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Wanda Diamond League track and field meet in Poland yesterday, with Ackera Nugent leading the way with a meet record 12.29 seconds in the women's 100 metres hurdles.

Fast-rising sprint star Tia Clayton in the women's 100 metres and Shanieka Ricketts in the triple jump also brought joy to their compatriots by registering first-place finishes in their event.

Nugent, the former Excelsior High School continues to show good form on the Diamond League circuit, even though she is a newcomer to senior competition.

"Coming here to compete against all the best in the world, on one hand I did not expect to win, on the other hand I knew I just have to execute well and do everything under my control," said an elated Nugent.

"This is my first season competing as a professional athlete and I feel grateful to compete against the great ladies. I am just getting used to running on the circuit," she said.

Nugent actually made the Olympic final but did not finish the obstacle event.

Since then, she finished a close third at Friday's Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland, and yesterday in the sprint hurdles heats, she lowered the previous meet record to 12.30 seconds.

In the finals she was out of the blocks very fast and dominated the race for a convincing win.

Nugent's winning time was just off her personal best and world number two mark of 12.28 seconds.

Grace Stark of the United States was second in 12.37 seconds. Jamaica's Danielle Williams, who is the World champion in the event, was third in 12.38.

Clayton is also showing excellent form in her first season running as a professional.

On debut in Lausanne a few days earlier she placed fifth. But yesterday she bounced back in style, winning a very tight women's 100 metres in a wind aided 10.83 seconds.

The wind reading was a positive 2.9 metres per second.

The Jamaican had to be separated from Cote d'Ivoire sprint legend Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith at the tape by a photo finish, with both awarded the same time; and the United States' Tamara Davis, third by a whisker in 10.84.

"Coming into the race I wanted to try my best, without any specific expectations," Clayton admitted.

"After the Olympics, I've trained even harder than before. I did not go back home to Jamaica as I stayed in Italy. I am still in great shape and I intend to race a couple more times before the season is over," she added.

Ricketts, a consistent performer all season and silver medallist at the Paris Olympics, secured her first Diamond League win of the season with a 14.50-metre leap.

"It took a while to adjust from Paris because I felt that this was the main target for me this year. I accomplished what I wanted in Paris so training has been hard mentally," the triple jumper explained. "But I was able to jump a decent distance tonight so I am glad I managed to get the win."

Cuba's Leyanis Hernandez Perez was second with 14.40m. Jamaica's other competitor in the event, Ackelia Smith, ended fifth with 13.78m.

Several other Jamaicans registered podium finishes. Rasheed Broadbell and Romaine Beckford placed second, while Rushell Clayton and Ackeem Blake finished third.

Broadbell, who beat Olympic champion Grant Holloway in Lausanne, lost his men's high hurdles duel with the American yesterday. Holloway won the 110m hurdles in 13.04 seconds, narrowly defeating Broadbell who clocked his season best 13.05. Jamaica's Orlando Bennett was fifth in 13.35 seconds.

Beckford leapt a personal best 2.29 metres, a mark bettered only at the Poland meet by Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, with a clearance of 2.31m.

Four Jamaicans competed in the women's 400m hurdles, where Clayton led the pack with 53.11 seconds. Shiann Salmon, 53.15, Janieve Russell, 53.59 and Andrenette Knight, 53.68, were fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively.

Femke Bol of the Netherlands won comfortably in a meet record 52.13, with the United States' Anna Cockrell second in 52.88 seconds.

Blake equalled his personal best 9.89 seconds in the men's 100 metres. The United States Fred Kerley won in a meet record of 9.87 ,ahead of Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, 9.88. Rohan Watson of Jamaica was seventh in 10.18.

Jamaica's Olympic Games silver medallist Kishane Thompson was scratched late from the event.

Jamaicans Roshawn Clarke ended fourth in the men's 400m hurdles in 47.74, with Jaheel Hyde ninth in 50.57; Natoya Goule-Toppin was fifth in the women's 1,000 metres in 2:34.37; while Rajindra Campbell, the Olympic Games bronze medallist, was eighth in the men's shot put with a heave of 20.78.