Olympics: World champion Sh’Kurry Richardson won the first 100 meters of the Olympic season on Saturday, beating Beatrix Chebet of Kenya’s 10,000m world record in 10.83 seconds at the Olympic Diamond League.
Richardson, the world champion last August in a personal best of 10.65 seconds, came off a slow start in the 200m in China.
But she is aiming for next month’s US Olympic Trials with her fastest time of the year, second only to American Jacqui Sears’ 10.77 in April, edging out last-place Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Jamaican Elaine Thompson-Herrah. 11.30.
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Thompson-Herah began her 2024 campaign largely sidelined by an Achilles tendon problem since repeating as Olympic 100m champion in Tokyo and must do so before the Jamaican trials in June.
“Obviously, I should have been there for the opener, I wouldn’t say I wasn’t happy,” said the 24-year-old.
With the win under his belt, he looks forward to “training, focusing, growing and preparing for the trials” at Hayward’s place June 21-30.
Chebet got things going at Hayward Field before the start of the Diamond League event, breaking the 10,000m world record with a time of 28min 54.14sec in Kenya’s Olympic qualifying event.
The victory, which improved on the previous record of 29.01.03 set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey in 2021, was his first qualifying race on the track and immediately marked his Paris favourite.
Chebet, a two-time world champion, said he was not thinking about the world record but knew that Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegai would challenge for the world mark.
He overshadowed most of Tsegai, took the lead with a flawless late move and pulled away easily in the brilliant final lap.
Chebet said he will now aim for a double in the 5,000m to 10,000m in Paris.
“I’m happy to be on the Olympic team for the first time.” “With good health, I know I will win a medal at the Olympics.”
The meet title was tied with the Bowerman Mile, where 1,500-meter world champion Josh Kerr held off Olympic gold medalist Jacob Ingebrigtsen to win by 26 hundredths of a second.
England’s Kerr clocked 3:45.34 to claim victory in the pair’s first meeting since Kerr stunned the Norwegian star at the World Championships in Budapest in August.
Ingebrigtsen missed the indoor season while recovering from an Achilles injury.
In other events, 2019 world champion Christian Coleman of the United States won the men’s 100m in 9.95 seconds, holding off second place Ferdinand Omanya of Kenya in 9.98.
Richardson wins first 100m of year, Chebet smashes 10,000 world record in Eugene
