ULTIMATE BLOW

JAMAICANS had a lukewarm finish to the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship at the National Athletics Center in Budapest, Hungary, failing to get into the top three in six finals they contested on Sunday. Sanique Walker, in the women’s 400m hurdles, and Ashanti Moore, in the women’s 200m, both achieved personal best times. Walker, the Commonwealth Games champion, was fifth in 53.61 seconds, making her the eighth-best Jamaican ever. Rushell Clayton was eighth in 54.32 as American Jasmine Jones was a surprise winner, running a season’s best 52.45 to beat Slovakia’s Emma Zapletalova (52.68). World leader Anna Cockrell of the United States placed third in 53.09 seconds. Moore, who had run a lifetime best 22.30 to finish second in her semi-final, clocked 22.34 (-0.6m/s) for fifth in the final. Her time in the semis shaved one-hundredth off her previous best 22.31 set at that venue a year ago.

Jamaica’s Romaine Beckford competes in the men’s high jump final during the World Athletics Ultimate Championship at Gyula Zsivotzky National Athletics Centre in Budapest, Hungary, on Sunday. Photos: AFP

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (left) of the United States celebrates winning the women’s 200m final during the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sunday. Also pictured is Jamaica’s Ashanti Moore.

American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden completed the sprint double, running a mouth-watering, world-leading, personal best 21.47 to win in a sweep for the United States. Gabrielle Thomas was second with 21.77 and Kayla White (21.93) was third. Lavanya Williams, a finalist in the women’s 100m on Saturday, finished sixth in her women’s 200m semis in 23.10 (0.7m/s) and failed to advance. Bryan Levell was sixth in the men’s 200m final in 20.07 (-0.1m/s), after he ran 20.08 (-0.2m/s) for third in his semi-final. National champion Christopher Taylor was sixth with 20.36 and failed to reach the final. Kenneth Bednarek of the USA completed the men’s sprint double, winning the 200m final with a world-leading and personal best 19.52. He defeated Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who ran a season’s best 19.76. Courtney Lindsey of the USA clocked a season’s best 19.79 to finish third.

South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile (right) wins ahead of Jamaica’s Bryan Levell in the men’s 200m semi-final during the World Athletics Ultimate Championship on Sunday.

Romaine Beckford was fifth in the men’s high jump with 2.26m as Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi won with a world-leading 2.37m. Tamberi topped American JuVaughn Harrison (2.30m) and Mexico’s Erick Portillo (2.26m). Ackelia Smith was fifth in the women’s triple jump with 14.23m (0.3m/s), as Senegal’s Saly Sarr got her biggest win with 15.06m (0.3m/s) to hold off the Cuban pair of Davisleydi Velazco, who registered 14.04m (0.5m/s), and Leyanis Perez Hernandez, who leapt 14.90m (0.7m/s). Jamaica’s mixed 4x400m relay team of Zandrion Barnes, Shana Kay Anderson, Assinie Wilson and Stacey Ann Williams finished sixth with a time of 3:11.46. The United States completed the sweep of relay titles when they won with 3:08.32, ahead of Great Britain (3:09.40) and the Netherlands (3:09.57). — Paul A Reid