American sprinter Fred Kerley displayed his exceptional speed as he raced past South African Akani Simbine and Kenyas Ferdinand Omanyala to claim victory in the men’s 100 meters at the Diamond League event in Rabat.
Kerley, who previously won silver in the same event at the Tokyo Olympics, clocked an impressive time of 9.94 seconds, setting a new meeting record. His long strides in the final stretch left Simbine (9.99) and Omanyala (10.05) unable to catch up.
Expressing his elation, Kerley stated, “I am beyond thrilled to have won this race and set a meeting record today. This is the result I anticipated, and I will continue to strive for excellence as I aim to perform at my best in the upcoming World Championship.” Notably, Olympic gold medalist Lamont Jacobs did not participate due to a back issue.
In other events, American athlete Shamier Little emerged victorious in the women’s 400m hurdles, finishing with a time of 53.95.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 110m hurdles, Jamaica’s Rasheed Broadbell secured first place, with American Grant Holloway taking second.
Reflecting on his performance, Holloway expressed disappointment, stating, “I am not satisfied with my performance today. My goal was to secure first place, but the loud crowd distracted me.” He added, “I will now put in even more effort to prepare for upcoming competitions, especially the World Championship, where my ultimate aim is to claim the gold medal.”
The home crowd rejoiced as Moroccan athlete Soufiane El Bakkali triumphed in the 3,000m steeplechase, setting a personal best time of 7:56.68 – the fastest time recorded this year.
El Bakkali finished well ahead of Getnet Wale (8:05.15) and Abraham Kibiwot (8:05.51).
In other notable victories, Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine secured first place in the women’s high jump with a clearance of 2.01 meters, while Mary Moraa from Kenya claimed victory in the women’s 800 meters with a time of 1:58.72.
Norwegian athlete Jakob Ingebrigtsen continued his dominance in the men’s 1,500m, crossing the finish line in 3:32.59, while Gudaf Tsegay emerged as the winner in the women’s event.
Looking ahead, the Diamond League action will shift to Florence, Italy, for the next thrilling installment of the competition.
