Daily Times

PRAGUE: USA sprinter Noah Lyles edged out China’s Bingtian Su in the men’s 100 metres on Sunday to help the Americas depose the defending champions Europe in the Continental Cup. The 21-year-old Lyles overtook Su near the finish to pip the Chinese by 0.02 seconds, winning in 10.01 to help wrap up the title. South Africa’s Akani Simbine was third. The Americas — who led after the first day – finished with 262 points ahead of Europe with 233 and Asia-Pacific with 188 at the two-day global track and field competition. Africa finished last with 142 points. Bahamian sprinter Shaunae Miller-Uibo kicked late in the women’s 200 metres to surge past Dutch runner Dafne Schippers with a time of 22.16. Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josee Ta Lou – who won the 100 metres a day earlier – finished third.

“This last race of the season was a tough one,” said Miller-Uibo, the 2016 Olympic 400 metres champion who extended her unbeaten streak to 10 races this season. “We were exhausted at the finish line and long after.” Sergey Shubenkov helped narrow the gap for the Europeans by winning the men’s 110 metres hurdles in 13.03 seconds, beating Jamaica’s Ronald Levy who finished second after leading through the first four hurdles. France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde was third. “It was also very important for me to overcome Pascal after I lost to him in the Europeans,” Shubenkov said. “Here I managed to improve a lot technically and certainly, 13.03 is a great result for the end of the season.”

Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya gave the Africans a win in the women’s 800 metres, finishing in 1:54.77 and beating Ajee Wilson of the United States and Jamaica’s Natoya Goule who finished second and third. Olympic and world champion Christian Taylor of the United States won the men’s triple jump with a distance of 17.59 metres. Africa’s Hugues Fabrice Zango finished second and Asia-Pacific’s Arpinder Singh was third. Asian champion Abdalelah Haroun piped Africa’s Baboloki Thebe in the men’s 400 metres, winning in 44.72 seconds while U.S. sprinter Nathan Strother finished third. “It wasn’t my fastest time, but that didn’t matter here,” Haroun said. “I just wanted to win my last race of the season.”

World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya cruised to victory in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase in 9:07.92, easily beating Courtney Frerichs of the United States who finished in 9:15.22 and Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi at 9:17.86. In the women’s 400 metres hurdles, Jamaica’s Janieve Russell won in 53.62 seconds, beating team mate Shamier Little of the United States who finished in 53.86 seconds. Ukraine’s Anna Yaroshchuk-Ryzhykova finished third in 54.47 seconds. World champion Elijah Manangoi gave the Africans something to celebrate by winning the men’s 1500 metres in 3:40.00 to beat European rivals Marcin Lewandowski and Jakob Ingebrigtsen who finished second and third with times of 3:40.42 and 3:40.80 respectively.

Published in Daily Times, September 10^th 2018.