Blake blasts back with 100m Diamond League win, eyes world champs

[August 19, 2019]  BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Former world champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica edged Britain's Adam Gemili in a photo-finish to win the 100 meters at the Birmingham Diamond League meeting on Sunday.

Both sprinters were given the same time of 10.07 seconds, with Blake declared the winner.

"It was coming," said Blake, the 2011 world champion who last won an individual global medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

The 29-year-old, who has been overshadowed by Americans Christian Coleman, Justin Gatlin and Noah Lyles in recent years, was aided by a 2.0 meters per second wind, just under the allowable.

"The weather wasn't great but I'm saving the big day for the world championships and the Diamond League finals in Zurich," said Blake. "I can run faster."

Coleman had withdrawn from the race earlier in the week and Canadian triple Olympic medalist Andre De Grasse was a disappointing fifth in 10.13.

Olympic 400 meters gold medalist Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas won her 11th consecutive 200 meters, turning back British European champion Dina Asher-Smith and Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Miller-Uibo, who has not lost at the distance since 2017, pulled away from Asher-Smith with 70 meters to go and won in 22.24 seconds. Asher-Smith clocked 22.36 and Fraser-Pryce 22.50.

"The race didn't go to plan," said Miller-Uibo. "My start was just horrible and had to rely on that 400m speed to get through."

Olympic champions Nafissatou Thiam, Ekaterini Stefanidi and Omar McLeod also were winners on a day when swirling winds affected many performances.

Jamaica's Yohan Blake celebrates winning the men's 100 Metres final Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff

Thiam twice broke the Belgian long jump record, leaping 6.86 meters on her third attempt to show she will be ready to defend her world heptathlon title in Doha in October.

"It gives me confidence," said Thiam. "It's almost 20cm more than my PB (personal best)."

Serbian world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic was second, a mere centimeter behind, and British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson took third at the same distance after fouling on her first two attempts.

Greece's Stefanidi claimed the pole vault with a third attempt clearance at 4.75 meters and Jamaican McLeod dominated the 110 meters hurdles, winning in 13.21 seconds.

Compatriot Danielle Williams, the year's fastest in the 100 meters hurdles, easily defeated U.S. world record holder Keni Harrison, claiming victory in 12.46 seconds.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; editing by Tony Lawrence)

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