De Grasse unable to defend 100m title at Prefontaine Classic, finishing last with season best time
Canada's DeBues-Stafford finishes 3rd in women's 1,500; Ahmed 4th in men's 5,000
Canadian sprint star Andre De Grasse was unable to defend his 100-metre title at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Ore., on Saturday.
The Markham, Ont., native finished last among a stacked field with a season best time of 10.21 seconds at the third Diamond League meet of the season.
Trayvon Bromell, the world's fastest 100 runner last year, led an American podium sweep with a time of 9.93, while Tokyo silver medallist Fred Kerley (9.98) and world champion Christian Coleman (10.04) finished second and third, respectively.
American 200 specialist Noah Lyles (10.05) and 18-year-old star Erriyon Knighton (10.14) finished fourth and sixth, respectively, while Kenneth Bednarek (10.18) placed eighth ahead of De Grasse.
WATCH | Bromell claims top spot, De Grasse places last in 100m:
Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs withdrew from the Prefontaine Classic earlier this week.
De Grasse, a six-time Olympic medallist, claimed bronze in the event at the Tokyo Games last summer before winning at the 2021 Prefontaine Classic with a wind-aided 9.74 (+2.9).
The 27-year-old placed fourth in the men's 100 at the previous Diamond League meet in Birmingham, England on May 21.
WATCH | 'Mental preparedness, hip speed' make De Grasse fast:
DeBues-Stafford reaches podium
Earlier on Saturday, fellow Canadian Gabriela DeBues-Stafford reached the podium by finishing third in the women's 1,500m — posting a season best time of 3:58.62.
The 26-year-old from Toronto finished behind Kenyan two-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon, who won with a world-leading time of 3:52.59, and Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay (3:54.21).
DuBues-Stafford, a two-time Olympian, placed fifth in the event in Tokyo.
WATCH | DeBues-Stafford finishes 3rd at Prefontaine Classic:
Ahmed finishes 4th in men's 5,000
Canadian distance star Moh Ahmed kicked off his Diamond League season by finishing fourth in the men's 5,000m with a time of 13:07.85.
Ethiopia's Berihu Aregawi separated from the pack and maintained a big lead to claim victory with a personal best, world-leading time of 12:50.05. The 21-year-old Tokyo Olympian also set a meeting record in front of the roaring crowd, breaking British legend Mo Farah's record by 16 seconds.
Compatriots Samuel Tefera (13:06.86) and Selemon Barega (13:07.30) completed the Kenyan sweep by finishing second and third, respectively.
Ahmed, a three-time Olympian St. Catharines, Ont., won silver in the event at the Tokyo Games.
WATCH | What makes Moh Ahmed so fast?
Canada's William Paulson and Charles Philibert-Thiboutot finished eighth and ninth in the men's Bowerman mile, respectively.
Paulson, of Quebec, finished with a personal best time of 3:52.42, while Quebec City's Philibert-Thiboutot ran a season best time of 3:53.82.
Norwegian Olympic gold medallist Jakob Ingebrigtsen claimed first place, crossing the finish line in 3:49.76. Australian Oliver Hoare placed second (3:50.65) and Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot finished a close third in 3:50.77.
Thompson-Herah edges Richardson
In other results, Olympic gold medallist Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica held off American Sha'Carri Richardson in the women's 100.
Thompson-Herah won in the 100 and 200 and the 400 relay at the Tokyo Olympics. She defended her Pre title in 10.79 seconds, in front of Richardson in 10.92.
Richardson became a sensation when she won at the U.S. Olympic trials last year but was denied a spot on the team for Tokyo because she tested positive for marijuana. She returned at the Pre last year and finished last in the 100.
Richardson wore bright pink that was adorned with gold charms. She did not speak to reporters after the race, her first sub-11 second mark since last year's trials.
WATCH | Thompson-Herah tops podium in Eugene:
Runners at Hayward Field, which will host the world championships in July, were greeted with passing rain showers, temperatures in the upper-50s and breezy conditions.
American Michael Norman won the men's 400 a meet-record 43.60. He won at the trials last year and finished fifth in the event at the Olympics.
Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won the women's 200 in 22.41.
Two-time Olympic gold medallist and Oregon native Ryan Crouser won the shot put with a mark of 75-6 1/4.
England's Keely Hodgkinson won the women's 800 in 1:57.72 and two-time Kenyan Olympic medallist Faith Kipyegon beat her own meet record in the women's 1,500 in 3:52.59. Fellow Kenyan Norah Jeruto won the women's steeplechase in 8:57.97.
The Prefontaine Classic, named after the late Steve Prefontaine, is the third and only U.S. stop on the Diamond League. Hayward Field, on the University of Oregon campus, also will host the U.S. championships in late June before the world championships in July.
WATCH | CBC Sports explains the 100-metre dash:
With files from The Associated Press
