Jamaicans well placed at Diamond League’s halfway stage

The Wanda Diamond League is at its halfway mark, with seven meets out of 14 contested so far ahead of the Grand Finale in Brussels in September, and three Jamaicans are leading their respective events — Nickisha Pryce in the women's 400m, Megan Simmonds in the women's 100m hurdles, and Jordan Scott in the men's triple jump.

Simmonds, who recorded fourth-place finishes in Shanghai and Xiamen before winning in Rome, leads the women's 100m hurdles standings with 18 points.

Scott leads the men's triple jump with 22 points after recording two second-place finishes and a victory in Oslo. With only one meet remaining in the triple jump, scheduled for Lausanne in August, he has already secured his place in the final. Another Jamaican, Jaydon Hibbert, is in eighth position with 10 points.

Pryce, who relinquished her national women's 400m title at the recent JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships after being a no-show, leads the women's one-lap event with 18 points after placing fifth in Oslo, third in Rabat, and winning in Shanghai.

Like Scott, who has already booked his place in the final, Rushell Clayton is the next best-placed Jamaican in the standings. She sits second with 26 points behind Slovakia's Emma Zapletalova, who leads with 32.

Four other Jamaicans, Shericka Jackson, Lamara Distin, Orlando Bennett, and Tajay Gayle are in third position in their respective events.

Jackson, who won her first two meets in China, including a season's best 21.87 seconds at the Xiamen meet, is on 16 points in the women's 200m. She trails leader Shaunae Miller-Uibo of The Bahamas, who is on 19, and American Anavia Battle, who is second on 18.

Bennett is third in the men's 110m hurdles with 18 points, following a fourth-place finish in Shanghai, third in Xiamen, and second in Rome. The event is led by American Cordell Tinch with 19, while Japan's Rachid Muratake is second, also on 18.

Gayle, with 12 points, is third in the men's long jump, where Greece's Miltiadis Tentoglou leads with 15.

High jumper Distin has accumulated 10 points to hold third place in the women's high-jump standings.

Several other Jamaicans are also in the top eight. These include Rajindra Campbell, who is fourth in the men's shot put with 14 points; Roje Stona, fourth in the men's discus throw with eight; Raymond Richards, fourth in the men's high jump with seven; Romaine Beckford, sixth in the men's high jump with six; Wayne Pinnock, sixth in the men's long jump with five; and Tina Clayton and Kemba Nelson, who are tied for seventh in the women's 100m with eight points.