KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaican athletes delivered commendable performances on the final day of the two-day Diamond League Final in Brussels, securing several third-place finishes in key events. Highlighting the day’s results were hurdler Ackera Nugent, shot putter Rajindra Campbell, and 400m hurdler Shiann Salmon, all of whom claimed third-place honors on Saturday.
While no additional Diamond League titles were added to Jamaica’s tally—after Ackeem Blake (100m) and Tajay Gayle (long jump) triumphed on Friday—Saturday’s performances still showed the strength and resilience of the Jamaican athletes.
Ackera Nugent, who had been riding a four-race winning streak, took third place in the women’s 100m hurdles with a time of 12.55 seconds. The race was won by Puerto Rican star Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who clocked 12.38 seconds. Nadine Visser of the Netherlands secured second place with a time of 12.54 seconds. Fellow Jamaican Danielle Williams finished fifth in 12.62 seconds.
In the men’s shot put, Rajindra Campbell impressed with a strong third-place finish, recording a throw of 21.95m. Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri took the victory, setting both a national and meet record with a throw of 22.98m, breaking his previous Italian record of 22.95m. Olympic champion Ryan Crouser of the USA placed second with a mark of 22.79m.
Shiann Salmon also put in a valiant effort in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing third in 53.99 seconds. Femke Bol of the Netherlands claimed the top spot in 52.45 seconds, holding off American hurdler Anna Cockrell, who finished in 53.71 seconds. Fellow Jamaicans Janieve Russell and Andrenette Knight finished seventh (55.94 seconds) and eighth (56.70 seconds), respectively.
In the men’s high jump, Romaine Beckford cleared 2.22m to finish fourth after battling early struggles. He needed all three attempts to clear the opening height of 2.12m but eventually found his rhythm, clearing 2.17m on the first attempt before needing two tries to get over 2.22m.
The men’s 400m hurdles saw Roshawn Clarke lose momentum after a collision with the eighth barrier, finishing fifth with a time of 49.08 seconds. His compatriot, Malik James-King, finished just behind in 49.37 seconds. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos won the race in 47.93 seconds, defeating Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (48.20 seconds) and Estonia’s Rasmas Magi (48.26 seconds).
In the men’s 100m invitational, Michael Campbell finished fifth, crossing the line in 10.40 seconds, while Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala took the victory in 10.07 seconds.
While Jamaica may not have claimed more titles on the final day, the athletes’ determination and strong finishes continued to showcase the country’s excellence on the global athletics stage.
