Jamaica's presence at the Zurich Diamond League was nothing short of spectacular, with breakout performances headlined by Roshawn Clarke and Shiann Salmon. Clarke, the 400m hurdles sensation, seized his first-ever Diamond League victory, clocking a season's best time of 47.50 seconds. His commanding performance was closely pursued by Abderrahman Samba of Qatar, who set his own season-best at 47.58 seconds for second place, while Rasmus Magi of Estonia took third in 48.02 seconds.
Clarke’s triumph comes after a challenging season, making this victory even sweeter. He reflected on his mindset going into the race: “I came out with the mindset that this is a race anyone could win, and I wanted to come out on top, and that’s what I did today. The season is long, but I’ve only got two weeks left, so I just keep reminding myself of that.” With his victory, Clarke secured enough points to qualify for the Diamond League Final in Brussels, a crucial step toward ending his season on a high note after disappointment in Paris.
Clarke wasn’t the only Jamaican to shine in Zurich. Shiann Salmon delivered a career-best performance in the women’s 400m hurdles, dipping under 53 seconds for the first time to win with a remarkable 52.97 seconds. Salmon, who placed sixth at the Paris Olympics, surged ahead of Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell, who finished second in 53.17 seconds, and Shamier Little, who came in third at 54.07 seconds. This victory marks a milestone for Salmon, solidifying her place among the top athletes in her event.
Also showcasing his skill was Olympic silver medallist Wayne Pinnock, who claimed victory in the men's long jump with a leap of 8.17 meters. Pinnock’s performance was enough to beat reigning Olympic and World champion Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece, who finished second with a jump of 8.02 meters, and Switzerland’s Simon Ehammer, who took third at 7.98 meters.
Meanwhile, two-time World Champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada threw 85.72m to win the men’s javelin event, ahead of Germany’s Julian Weber (85.33m) and Japan’s Roderick Genki Dean (82.69m).
In the highly anticipated women’s 100m, American sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson continued her stellar season by edging out Olympic champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia in a close race, clocking 10.84 seconds to Alfred’s 10.88 seconds. British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith finished third in 10.89 seconds.
Elsewhere, Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment ran a season-best 13.18 seconds in the men’s 110m hurdles, finishing fourth in a race won by Olympic champion Grant Holloway, who crossed the line in 12.99 seconds.
As the athletes prepare for the Diamond League Final in Brussels on September 13 and 14, Jamaica’s performance in Zurich has set the stage for more exciting victories ahead. With Clarke and Salmon achieving personal milestones and Pinnock demonstrating world-class talent, the Jamaican contingent is poised for further success.
