Olympic champion Fraser-Pryce fires 100m warning

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce swept to victory in the Stockholm Diamond League 100m on Thursday with a 10.93sec triumph which sent out a powerful message to her world championship rivals.

The Jamaican sprinter, who is the reigning Olympic and world champion, edged out Tori Bowie of the United States (11.05sec) and compatriot Natasha Morrison (11.22sec).

Fraser-Pryce, 28, was running for the first time since setting the season's best time in the sprint at Paris a month ago.

Her performance on Thursday was a resounding reminder to her rivals just three weeks away from the world championships in Beijing where she will be the defending champion.

The Jamaican star is also the reigning world champion in the 200m and 4x100m relay.

"There will always be a lot of pressure to cope with. I am the defending champion so I will be the number one target," she said.

"But I am not worried and I am looking forward to going to China."

Fraser-Pryce said she will now head for Japan for a training camp ahead of the August 22-30 world championships in the Chinese capital.

"There are still many things to work on -- the start, the transition, the finish. I am not just going to sit around and wait."

Qatar's high jump star Mutaz Essa Barshim slumped to a fourth successive Diamond League loss, a run of form which makes his season best of 2.41m, set in Eugene in May, appear a distant memory.

Barshim has now been beaten at Oslo, Paris, London and Stockholm.

He was second on Thursday, but his best attempt of 2.29m was trumped by America's Jacorian Duffield who won with 2.3m.

"I did some good jumps and I wasn't too far from winning," said the Qatari.

"Now, my main objective is to win the world title and to do that I have to improve technically."

In the men's 110m hurdles, Spain's Orlando Ortega won in 13.18sec ahead of European champion Sergey Shubenkov of Russia (13.22sec).

Defending world champion David Oliver of the United States was third in 13.24sec.

Colombia's Caterine Ibarguen registered her 28th successive women's triple jump win and should be assured of the Diamond League title at the season finale in Brussels on September 11.

The 31-year-old won the Stockholm leg of the series with a best of 14.60m.

Kazakhstan's Olga Rypakova (14.30m) was second with Kimberly Williams of Jamaica in third spot (14.22m).
Source: AFP