Felix bags brace of diamonds in Zurich

ZURICH: American sprinter  Allyson Felix cruised to victory in the 400-metre event at the penultimate meet in the IAAF’s Diamond League in Zurich to ensure she bagged a brace of trophies.

Having already wrapped up the 200m, in which she is a three-time world champion, Felix timed 50.37 seconds, a gutsy final 30m seeing her past closest rivals Debbie Dunn and African champion Amantle Montsho of Botswana.

“The whole Diamond League season was amazing, pretty cool,” said Felix. “But I must admit I had to work hard in the last 100m for that win. I still feel like a 200 and 400m runner and it will stay like that for 2011.”

On the track, Wallace Spearmon and Jeremy Wariner won the men’s 200 and 400m, David Oliver the 110m hurdles and Carmelita Jeter the women’s 100m. There was further success for the US in the field, Dwight Phillips and Brittney Reese winning the men and women’s long jump events respectively.

Elsewhere, Jamaican Kaliese Spencer, in the absence of the injured Lashinda Demus, claimed the women’s 400m hurdles crown, timing a personal best of 53.33sec in the process of victory.

Published in The Express Tribune August 21^st, 2010.