KEMEL Thompson led a Jamaican one, two in the men's 400 metres hurdles at the Rieti Grand Prix meet in Italy yesterday.
Thompson hurdled smoothly to win in 48.57 seconds ahead of fellow Jamaican Danny McFarlane who took second in 48.76. South Africa's Alwyn Myburgh was third in 48.81.
Three other Jamaicans had runner-up spots at the meet. Chris Williams clocked 20.38 for second behind European champion Francis Obikwelu of Portugal in the men's 200m. Obikwelu's winning time was 20.20.
Novlene Williams ran a personal best 49.64 in the women's 400m but was beaten by European champion Vanya Stambolova who clocked a Bulgarian national record 49.53.
Personal best
In the women's 200m Shericka Williams also ran a personal best 22.55 but was just edged out by American Stephanie Durst (22.51).
Kenia Sinclair clocked a good 1:58.27 for third in the women's 800m won in 1:57.07 by Kenya's Commonwealth champion Janeth Jepkosgei.
Last year's world championships 100m silver medalist Michael Frater (10.27) was fourth in the men's 100m won in 10.01 by American Jason Smoots. Another Jamaican, Dwight Thomas, was fifth in 10.28.
On a very fast track Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa beat a championship-quality field to win the 800 in 1:43.09, giving him the season lead.
"This is the first time I've been to Rieti. It's a very fast track," Mulaudzi said.
Wilfred Bungei of Kenya was the runner-up in 1:43.31 and Bram Som of the Netherlands, who won the gold medal at the European Championships earlier this month, was third in 1:43.52.
World champion Rashid Ramzi of Bahrain finished a distant eighth in the two-lap race.
Andrew Howe of Italy celebrated the gold medal he won in the long jump at the Europeans by posting another victory. Howe won with a leap of 8.36 metres.
Howe set his personal best of 8.41 at the Golden League meet in Rome in July and was looking to break Giovanni Evangelisti's 19-year-old Italian record of 8.43.
"I have to jump further at the World Cup in Athens" next month, Howe said, adding that he struggled with back and leg problems.
