High standard and high hurdles, 2021 Golden Gala, Florence Diamond League, story 1...

High standard and high hurdles

Olympic champion and 2017 World Champion in the 110m hurdles tonight gave notice that he will not roll over and make it easy for Grant Holloway in Tokyo. McLeod won in 13:01. He said of his race: "It feels good to be winning again. I am having fun again. It was a really good race. I put together a technically sound race. I did not hit a hurdle. The weather is a bit shaky but we have to put up with this. The time is close enough to 13 seconds and I will get under 13 seconds". [He ran 12.90 in 2017]. McLeod had a dog called Cookie and when she had pups he named them Cocoa, Fudge and Brownie "all in the cookie jar". What is there not alike about a man like that?

Omar McLeod, Andrew Pozzi, battle it out in Florence 2021, June 10, 2021, photo by Diamond League AG

In the women's hurdles Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won in 12.38, which means that she now has the World Lead of 12.32 and four of the five fastest times this year, commenting: "Actually, I did much better than I thought I would. I was really nervous at the start, so all I could think when I was in the blocks was to have a good start, push really hard, and be good to go. There was no point in getting worked up, and I'm really excited I got to this point - it's a really good system for my next races. Of course, I want to run faster, but I just take it as it comes - I've been very consistent with my races, so I'm really excited, and not rushing at all. I'm looking forward to the Olympics this year - it will be like redemption from my fall in 2016 - I'm really excited, training really hard, work really hard, but really looking forward to it".

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Femke Bol of the Netherlands won the 400m hurdles in a new Dutch record of 53.44. The European Indoor 400 flat champion who ran sub 51 five times in the 2021 indoor season, seems to be picking up where she left off indoors. Then there is Sydney McLaughlin with her 52.83 this month. The women's hurdles could be a cracking race in Tokyo.

Femke Bol won the 400m hurdles in NR/EL of 53.44, 2021 Florence DL, June 10, 2021, photo by Diamond League AG

Bol's take on her race was: "I am really happy with this NR. In Hengelo on Sunday, I made a lot of mistakes, and still here, I made some mistakes, but then the second half of the race was much better. I gained a lot of speed on the flat, but I have to find my rhythm over the hurdles. We have been working a lot on that... Last year I won in Rome and I thought a lot about last year´s win. I tried to bring back the atmosphere again. This is such a nice stadium with a great atmosphere".