Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah scored an emphatic 100m victory over the returning Sha’Carri Richardson at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon on Saturday.
Jamaican star Thompson-Herah powered over the line at Hayward Field in 10.54sec — the second fastest time in history — as Richardson finished a distant last in 11.14sec.
Thompson-Herah’s compatriot Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce finished second in 10.73sec while Shericka Jackson took third in 10.76sec — a carbon copy of the Tokyo Olympic 100m podium.
Thompson-Herah’s winning time saw her slice 0.07sec off her Olympic record of 10.61sec set on July 31.
Only the late Florence Griffith Joyner has ever run faster, with Thompson-Herah now tantalisingly close to the American’s 33-year-old world record of 10.49sec.
“To come back with a PB after the championships, that is amazing,” Elaine said. “It means a lot to me...because my job is to inspire a generation. I have more races, so I don’t get too excited, too carried away. I have to continue doing the job.”