Canadian Aaron Brown achieved what he set out to do and then some at the Diamond League Final.
The Toronto native, who had never finished in the top three at the season-ending track and field event, finished second in the 200 meters and third in the 100 meters on Thursday in Zurich.
Brown told CBC Sports earlier this week he was “eager” to finish in the top three for the first time in his career in Switzerland. The 30-year-old, who led Canada’s gold 4x100m relay team at the World Championships in July, balanced his schedule between the two distances for the first time this season.
In the final race of the day, the 200m, Brown maintained a steady pace from lane 2 to set a season-best time of 20.02 seconds, a hundredth quicker than at the Nationals in June.
CLOCK | Brown 3rd over 200 m:
American sprinter Noah Lyles wins another Diamond League championship in the men’s 200 meter with a time of 19.52 seconds. Toronto’s Aaron Brown was second in 20.02 seconds.
The time was also good enough to beat Dominican Republic’s Alex Ogando in a photo finish. American Noah Lyles, the world gold medalist, won again as the only competitor to break the 20-second mark at 7:52 p.m.
Canada’s Andre De Grasse, the reigning Olympic gold medalist afar, finished sixth in 20.43 in his first competition since July’s World Championships amid struggles with COVID-19 and injuries.
In the 100m, Brown matched his season best of 10.06 seconds and finished third behind champion Trayvon Bromell of the US (9.94) and Yohan Blake of Jamaica (10.05).
With 10.21 seconds, De Grasse finished last in the weakened field of eight. Olympic gold medalist Lamont Marcell Jacobs and world champion Fred Kerley both did not run.
Brown also ran 10.06 at the World Championships in July, earning him an eighth place finish.
CLOCK | Brown is 3rd over 100 m:
American Trayvon Bromell won the men’s 100m at the Diamond League final in Zurich in a time of 9.94 seconds. Aaron Brown of Toronto was third and Andre DeGrasse of Markham, Ontario was eighth.
His Canadian compatriot Marco Arop was second in the 800m when he was passed by world No. 1 in the final 50m. 1 Emmanuel Korir from Kenya.
The Edmonton ran a season best of 1 minute 43.38 seconds. He was moving to the front of the pack with about 200 meters to go, but was slowly being caught by Korir, who crossed the world’s best time of the season in 1:43.26.
With the win, Korir walks away with a diamond-shaped trophy, $30,000 and automatic entry to next summer’s World Championships in Budapest.
Third was Briton Jake Wightman in 1:44.10.
CLOCK | Korir beats Arop in 800m:
Edmonton’s Marco Arop finished second behind Kenya’s Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir in the men’s 800m at the Diamond League finals in Zurich.
Fraser-Pryce crowns a dominant season with a win
Previously, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce stormed to victory in the women’s 100m and claimed her fifth win in the season-ending event.
Cheered on by more than 25,000 fans at the Letzigrund Stadium, Fraser-Pryce avenged a rare loss to fellow Jamaican Shericka Jackson in Brussels last week, crossing the finish line in a stunning time of 10.65 seconds.
CLOCK | Fraser-Pryce wins women’s 100m:
Jamaican sensation Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce wins her fifth Diamond League Championship when she wins the women’s 100 meter in a time of 10.65 seconds.
Jackson was second in 10.81 and Ivorian Marie-Josée Ta Lou was third in 10.91.
“I’m really looking forward to my next season and would love to come back,” said Fraser-Pryce, who became the first woman to run seven sub-10.70s in the same season.
“I’m just excited… to have won. I feel good to be able to compete. That was remarkable and I’m very proud that I got away with 10.65 – I started on 10.6 and finished on 10.6 so I can’t ask for anything more.”
American Sha’Carri Richardson was seventh in 11.13.
Jackson made up for her earlier disappointment by taking the 200m title in 21.80, with the world champion easily beating Americans Gabrielle Thomas (22.38) and Tamara Clark (22.42) for her first Diamond trophy .
CLOCK | Jackson wins women’s 200m:
Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson won the women’s 200m at the Diamond League Final in Zurich.
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