Justin Gatlin shines in Moncao but Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's struggles continue

Justin Gatlin

Monaco, July 19 (IANS/CMC): World and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finished down the field again but it was American Justin Gatlin who grabbed the headlines with a world-leading run in the men's 200 metres at the Monaco Diamond League here.

Fraser-Pryce, without a victory in her last five outings, finished a disappointing sixth as American Tori Bowie emerged victorious in the women's 100 metres in a world-leading 10.80 seconds Friday, reports CMC.

Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown raced to second, dipping below 11 seconds to clock 10.96 seconds while Murielle Ahoure of Cote D'Ivoire finished third in a season-best time of 10.97 seconds.

Fraser-Pryce, who has struggled with a foot injury in recent months, still managed to post a season-best time of 11.01, improving on the 11.10 she ran in Glasgow last weekend.

However, it was the resurgent Gatlin who took centre stage, clocking 19.68 seconds – the joint-eighth quickest of all time. The time was also a new record at the Monaco meet and it smashed his previous personal best of 19.86 seconds.

Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade was second in 19.99 seconds while Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre finished third in a season-best 20.08 seconds.

There was more success for Jamaican Kaliese Spencer who captured the 400 metres hurdles in 54.09 seconds, ahead of Americans Georganne Moline (54.73 seconds) and Tate Cassandra (55.07), who finished second and third respectively.

The victory for Spencer, the world leader in the event, was her fourth in the Diamond League series.