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Clayton wins 100m in Brussels
Tina Clayton won the women’s 100m at the Diamond League final in Brussels on Saturday (5 September) in 10.93 seconds, with Amy Hunt taking second in 11.06 and Sha’Carri Richardson finishing third in 11.07.
“Tina Clayton who won in 10.93, just one day after a third-placed finish in the 200m”
Hunt said she was “on the up” and “not afraid of anyone” after her second-place finish, adding that “I am 24 and on the up and up and up.”
The result came after Hunt had finished third in the 200m the day before, and it continued what the BBC described as her “fine late season form” after winning four gold medals at the European Championships in Birmingham last month.
In the same Brussels meet, the BBC reported that Switzerland’s Audrey Werro won the women’s 800m final in 1:54.75, finishing 0.06 seconds ahead of Dutch athlete Femke Broeders-Bol.
With the Diamond League final also serving as a lead-in to the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Hunt said she is planning to compete in the 100m and 200m again at the event that begins on 11 September.
Hunt, Richardson, and rivals
After Clayton’s 100m win, Hunt and Richardson were left chasing the Jamaican’s pace, with the BBC noting that Hunt’s 11.06 seconds surpassed American Olympic silver medallist Sha’Carri Richardson, who came third in 11.07.
Clayton framed the victory as a product of determination, saying, "Tonight I was the most determined athlete and that made the difference."
The BBC also highlighted that Georgia Hunter Bell finished fourth in the 1500m despite being among the pre-race favourites, and it quoted Hunter Bell describing her season as a “long hard season” with 19 races this year.
In the women’s 200m, the Guardian reported that Hunt finished nearly half a second behind Julien Alfred, with Alfred winning in 21.79 and Hunt running 22.16.
The Guardian added that the Diamond League final doubled as the 50th memorial meeting for Ivo Van Damme, and it quoted Duplantis on the difficulty of pulling out, saying, "The worst possible thing to do is having to pull out of a competition."
Ultimate Championships and money
The Brussels Diamond League final set up the next phase of the season, with the BBC saying Hunt is planning to compete in the 100m and 200m again at the inaugural Ultimate Championships event in Budapest that begins on 11 September.
“"We will see if I can make the Ultimate Championships. I don’t have the answer right now."”
Sky Sports reported that Armand Duplantis was forced to pull out of the Diamond League final with back tightness, and it included his explanation that “We will see if I can make the Ultimate Championships. I don’t have the answer right now.”
Sky Sports also described the Ultimate Championships as a new biennial event that brings together world champions, Olympic champions, Diamond League winners and other leading athletes for shares of a $10m (£7.87m) purse.
In that same preview, Sky Sports said each individual champion will secure $150,000 (£110,865), described as “the biggest winner's cheque in track and field history.”
With the Diamond League final concluded in Brussels, the BBC noted that Noah Lyles would not take part in the Ultimate Championships after ending his season early due to injury, while he still planned to travel to Hungary.