Bednarek hands Tebogo first 200m defeat since Olympics

Olympic champion suffers first loss over distance since Tokyo

Olympic 200m champion Andre de Grasse claimed victory at the Spitzen Leichtathletik meet in Lucerne on Tuesday (9 August) after a disappointing outing at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last month.

De Grasse took the 200m in 19.80 behind a 2.0 metres per second following wind just 0.04 quicker than Botswana’s Isaac Makwala. There was a British one-two in the women’s 200m, with Daryll Neita (22.84) beating Beth Dobbin (22.93).

Olympic bronze medallist Noah Lyles anchored a world-leading 3:00.56 performance from the USA in the men’s 4x400m relay, which bettered their previous mark of 3:00.83 from the same meeting last year. Lyles led off the relay in 45.21 before handing over to Elija Godwin (44.78) then Vernon Norwood (45.07) and finally Michael Norman (45.50).

South Africa’s Akani Simbine ran a meeting record of 9.93 (1.3m/s) to win the men’s 100m after placing fourth in Eugene, with Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (10.00) and South Africa’s Luxolo Adams (10.05) following him home.

Another Jamaican Olympic champion, Hansle Parchment overcame a slow start to win the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.31 ahead of USA's Devon Allen (13.35).

There were also wins for Olympic 1500m silver medallist Laura Muir (4:02.31), who beat world champion Gudaf Tsegay (4:03.38) in the women’s 1500m, and home favourite Mujinga Kambundji, who took the women’s 100m in 10.98 (-0.4).

Spain’s Adel Mechaal ran away with the men’s 5000m

After leading the field through the opening kilometres at a gentle pace, Mechaal accelerated on the eighth lap and quickly built up an unassailable lead.

Olympic bronze medallist Jake Wightman, who won the world 1500m title in Eugene, closed the gap somewhat over the final two laps but he had left his charge too late and had to settle for second in 13:23.68, with Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo third in 13:30.43.