American hurdler Grace Stark stunned at Shanghai Diamond League, winning the 100m hurdles in a world-leading 12.42 seconds.
Stark dominated a stacked field that included 2015 world champion Danielle Williams and Tobi Amusan, the current world record holder.
Stark exploded out of the blocks and maintained flawless technique throughout the race, leaving her competitors trailing. Williams, who initially had a strong start, encountered minor hurdles mid-race, costing her valuable momentum. She crossed the line in 12.55 seconds, securing second place.
South Africa’s Marione Fourie claimed third in 12.62 seconds, while Amusan finished fourth in 12.66 seconds.
The 23-year-old American has been in fine form this season. After a solid indoor campaign that included appearances at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, Millrose Games, and US Indoor Championships.
She kicked off her outdoor season with a win at the Tom Jones Memorial before securing a second-place finish at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen.
Danielle Williams, who started her season with a strong indoor run, had been impressive outdoors, winning at the Grand Slam Track meet and dominating in Xiamen. However, she couldn’t replicate that same dominance in Shanghai, finishing behind Stark.
Meanwhile, Tobi Amusan, still fine-tuning her form under new coaching, has yet to hit peak performance. After opening her season with a 100m win at Velocity Fest #16, she placed fourth in Xiamen and repeated that result in Shanghai.
Bahamian sprinter Devynne Charlton, the world indoor 60m hurdles record holder, continued her struggles, fading to seventh place in Shanghai. This follows her disappointing did-not-finish (DNF) result in Xiamen.
The next Diamond League stop in Doha promises more fireworks as the world’s best hurdlers continue their quest for dominance.
