Ruswahl Samaai downed Olympic champion Jeff Henderson to win the long-jump title with an 8.34m meet record at the Hungarian grand prix yesterday evening.
But Justin Gatlin outgunned Akani “AK” Simbine to win the 100m and avenge his defeat in the Doha Diamond League in May.
The American veteran crossed the line in 9.89sec‚ pipping by one-hundredth of a second the South African‚ who set his 9.89 national record on the same track in Szekesfehervar‚ about an hour south-west of Budapest.
This was the first time Simbine went sub-10 since Doha‚ ironically clocking the identical time he did then.
American Isiah Young‚ third in 10.10‚ beat Simbine in the 200m an hour later‚ crossing the line in 20.14 to the SA star’s 20.21.
Henricho Bruintjies was fourth in the 100m in 10.11 to claim the scalp of Ivory Coast’s African champion Ben Youssef Meite‚ fifth in 10.14.
With nearly a month to go to the world championships in London‚ Simbine still has time to fine-tune his racing and find that extra gear to display his top-end speed.
Samaai‚ the 2014 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist who finished ninth at the Rio Games‚ produced a consistent set of jumps‚ going 8.26 three times‚ with one 8.21 and a single no-jump.
His 8.34m‚ which came on his final sixth attempt‚ would have won Olympic bronze.
American Henderson cleared 8m only once‚ on his last jump‚ going 8.18.
In the women’s 100m Carina Horn ended fourth in 11.21‚ with compatriot Alyssa Conley ending sixth in a season’s best 11.41.
And Wenda Nel ended sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 55.83.
- TimesLIVE
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