A group of five Jamaican athletes competed at the Wanda Diamond League series in Doha on May 10, 2024. The meet in Qatar was the third in the 2024 series, which began in China on April 20, 2024. This 15th edition of the competition includes 14 one-day meets before the final competition in Brussels on September 13-14, 2024. The meet was held at Khalifa International Stadium and included 14 Diamond League disciplines, seven for men and seven for women. Jamaica’s contingent, headed by 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle, included Andrew Hudson, Natasha Morrison, Carey McLeod, and Natoya-Goule Toppin.
Showcase for Jamaica’s athletes
Long-jumper Tajay Gayl, who posted his best mark of the season with a jump of 7.64 meters, led the group of Jamaican athletes. Fellow Jamaican Carey McLeod competed along with Gayle in the men’s long jump event. Natoya-Goule Toppin, the 2019 Pan Am Games champion, competed in the women’s 800 meters. She previously won a bronze medal in the event at the Commonwealth Games. Natasha Morrison represented Jamaica in the women’s 100 meters, and sprinter Andrew Hudson competed in the men’s 200-meter race.
2024 Doha Diamond League results for Jamaica
Jamaican long jumper Carey McCleod won the men’s event with a jump measuring 8.52 meters. Teammate Tajay Gayle ranked in fifth place with a jump of 8.01 meters. The second and third places were achieved by Miltiadis Tentoglou of Greece with 8.36 meters and Simon Ehmanner of Switzerland with 8.30 meters. Natoya-Goule Toppin came in sixth in the women’s 800 meters with a time of 1:59.74. The winning time was 1:57.91 attained by Kenya’s Mary Moraa. In second place was Jemma Reekie of Great Britain with 1:58.42, and third was Noélie Yarigo of Benin with 1:58.70. Jamaica’s Natasha Morrison ran the women’s 100 meters in 11.37 seconds to place seventh. The top three runners were Great Britain’s Daryll Neita, who came in first with a time of 10.98 seconds, followed by Americans Tamari Davis and Celera Barnes who clocked 10.99 and 11.02, respectively. Andrew Hudson ran the 200 meters in 20.53 seconds to place seventh. Three US runners took the top three positions: Kenny Bednarek with 19.67, Courtney Lindsey with 20.01, and Kyree King with 20.21.
Next Diamond League event
The fourth Diamond League meet of the season is scheduled for May 19, 2024, at the Grand Stade de Marrakech with the 14 Diamond League disciplines divided into seven events for men and seven events for women.
Photo – Natasha Morrison
