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‘I am in really good shape’ - Nugent announces readiness for World Champs after securing first Diamond League trophy
August 29, 2025
Ackera Nugent is focused on getting her start right as she closes in on her first senior World Championships.
The Jamaican sprint hurdler admitted she's on course after winning her first Wanda Diamond League trophy, by securing victory in the women's 100m hurdles at yesterday's Weltklasse Zurich Wanda Diamond League finals in Switzerland.
On a day that saw several meet records and personal bests, Nugent shone the brightest for Jamaica. After placing third in last year's final, she returned to her early season form, following three below-par outings, and dominated a strong field to win in 12.30 seconds, equalling her season's best.
"This shows I am really in good shape. My strength is there and I'm finding consistency. As the World Championships get closer, some adjustments need to be made," Nugent declared.
"At every race I try to focus on myself, not on controlling others. I just ask the Lord to help me follow my dreams and block out distractions. All I care about is the sound of the start gun," she said.
Switzerland's Ditaji Kambundji set a national record with 12.40 for second, while Grace Stark of the United States (US) took third in 12.44, edging Jamaican Danielle Williams, who was given the same time but placed fourth.
Overall, it was a good day for Jamaican athletes. Tia Clayton, Andrenette Knight, Ackeem Blake, and Roje Stona also secured top-three finishes.
Many Jamaicans had their eyes on the women's 100m, where Tia Clayton needed a win to claim a wildcard entry for the World Championships.
The field included the season's second fastest woman, St Lucia's Julien Alfred, the defending Diamond League champion and Olympic champion.
Clayton exploded from the blocks and led up to the 70-metre mark, but Alfred's powerful top-end speed carried her to victory in 10.76.
Clayton finished second in 10.84, with Cote d'Ivoire's Marie-Josee Ta Lou Smith, who ran under protest after being red-flagged for a false start, won her appeal and kept third place in 10.94.
NOT PROUD
"Coming second at a Diamond League means a lot, but it's not what I wanted. I came here for the win," Clayton said.
"My coach told me I could win today, so I'm not proud of myself. I wanted to make it to the World Championships through the bye."
In a very close men's 100m, Blake was third in 9.99. The race went to Christian Coleman of the US in 9.97, with Akani Simbine of South Africa second in 9.98.
Knight clocked 53.76 for third in the women's 400m hurdles. Femke Bol of the Netherlands kept her unbeaten streak alive, winning in a meet record 52.18. Emma Zapletalova of Slovakia was second in a national record 53.18.
Olympic champion Roje Stona, who was lying sixth after the fifth round in the men's discus, produced his best on the final attempt with 67.06m to climb into third.
World leader Mykolas Alekna of Lithuania won with 68.89m, while Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia took second with 67.18m.
National champions Shanieka Ricketts, Jordan Scott, Romaine Beckford and Orlando Bennett missed out on the podium.
Beckford was fourth in the men's high jump, clearing 2.22 metres. New Zealand's Hamish Kerr won with 2.32m.
Scott also placed fourth, in the men's triple jump, with 17.16m, behind Italy's Andy Diaz Hernandez, who won with 17.56m.
Ricketts' lean spell continued with a fifth-place finish in the women's triple jump, managing 14.35m. Cuba swept the podium, led by world leader Leyanis Hernandez Diaz (14.91m), followed by Liadagmis Povea (14.72m) and Davisleydi Velazco (14.65m).
Bennett was seventh in the men's 110m hurdles, clocking 13.35.
The US' Cordell Tinch equalled the 1989 meet record of Great Britain's Roger Kingdom, with his 12.92-second win. Spain's Enrique Llopis ran a season's best 13.12 for second, while Jamal Britt of the US was third in 13.21.
MEET RECORDS
Two meet records came in the flat 400m and men's 400m hurdles.
World leader Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain turned the tables on the Dominican Republic's Marileidy Paulino, winning the women's 400m in 48.70 -- the second-fastest time in the world this year. Paulino was second in 49.23, with Norway's Henriette Jaeger third in a national record 49.49.
Karsten Warholm of Norway stormed to victory in the men's 400m hurdles in 46.70, a new meet record. Abderrahman Samba of Qatar was second in 47.45, followed by Nigeria's Ezekiel Nathaniel in 47.56.
The meet ended with two thrilling 200m races.
In the women's event, Brittany Brown of the US chased down Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain to win in 22.13 (-0.4).
Asher-Smith was second in 22.16, while Ta Lou Smith of Cote d'Ivoire clocked a season's best 22.25 for third.
Noah Lyles of the US produced his trademark late burst to catch Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana on the line, winning the men's 200m in 19.74 (-0.6).
Tebogo was second in 19.76, with Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic third in 20.14.
It was Lyles' sixth Diamond League title, a record for track athletes.
"Six, that's a big number," Lyles said. "Shoot, that's another record on the list. That's pretty cool, I'm not going to lie."
