Ackeem Blake highlights Jamaican performances at opening Diamond League meet

World indoor 60 metre bronze medalist Ackeem Blake was the best placed Jamaican athlete at the opening Diamond League meet of the season at Xiamen in China. 

Blake in only his third 100m race this year produced a seasons best 10.20 seconds to finish behind the American pair of Christian Coleman 10.13 and Fred Kerley 10.17 seconds in the men’s 100 metres.

Reining national champion Rohan Watson was 4th in 10.27 seconds, while Yohan Blake ran 10.43 seconds for 9th in the field of 10.

2-time world champion Danielle Williams was 4th in the women's 100m hurdles in a seasons best 12.56 seconds.

Olympic champion Jasmin Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico won the event in 12.45 seconds ahead of Bahamian Devynne Charlton 12.49 seconds.

The other Jamaican in the event, Megan Tapper who was running her first 100 metre hurdles race of the season, finished 8th in 12.88 seconds.

In the men's 110m hurdles, Olympic champion Hansel Parchment in his first race of the season, ended 6th in 13.33 seconds. Another Jamaican, Orlando Bennett was 8th in 13.58 seconds. The event was won by American Daniel Roberts in a world- leading 13.11 seconds.

In the field, Danniel Thomas-Dodd ended 8th in the women's shot put event with a best mark of 18.76 done on her second attempt.

Meanwhile, there was one new world record mark at the meet which came in the men's pole vault, as Swedish sensation Armund Duplantis cleared 6.24 metres to win the event. He bettered his own mark of 6.23m set last year.