Louie Hinchliffe finishes fourth in 100m at London Athletics Meet...
LONDON--In the final Wanda Diamond League meet before the Olympic break, former Washington State sprinter Louie Hinchliffe (Paul Merca photo) finished fourth in the 100 meters at the London Athletics Meet at Olympic Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Hinchliffe, the NCAA 100 meter champion for the University of Houston last month, ran 9.97 as reigning world champion Noah Lyles of the United States won in a personal best 9.81.
After the race, Hinchliffe told members of the media, "I am happy with the time but I really wanted to win the race. I am confident in myself so I am especially happy to finish first Briton in the race. In Paris I am aiming to win. I start every race with a view to win. My focus after that is to finish my college course next year before I think about turning pro or anything else. It is important to have something else as atheltics will not last forever. My coach (Houston coach Carl Lewis) will watch today´s race back with me and we will learn a few things I am sure."
Earlier in the meet, Hinchliffe, the British 100 meter champion, ran the second leg on Great Britain's 4 x 100 meter relay team.
Hinchliffe, who ran the second leg for the Houston Cougars during the collegiate season, gave the British A team a lead into the third leg.
Unfortunately, British A team anchor Reece Prescod left too early and never gave third leg Richard Kilty a chance to make the pass in the zone.
Japan won the race in 38.07.
Washington Stăte alum CJ Allen finished sixth in the men's 400 hurdles, running 48.49, as Brazil's Alison dos Santos won in 47.18.
Allen remains in second in the Diamond League standings in the 400 hurdles with 28 points, while dos Santos remains in the lead with 46 points.
Washington alum Brian Fay sharpened up for the Olympics in a few weeks, as the Irish Olympian dropped down in distance to 3000 meters.
Fay set a personal best, running 7:34.48, as Dominic Lobalu of Switzerland caught American Grant Fisher to win in 7:27.68 to Fisher's 7:27.99.
Fellow Husky alum Jack Rowe, still stinging over not getting selected to the British Olympic team in the 5000 meters, set a personal best in finishing twelfth. Rowe ran 7:38.70.
It was a tough day for former Pullman resident Katie Moon, as the reigning world and Olympic champion finished eighth in the pole vault, clearing 14-9 (4.50m).
Moon's co-world champion, Nina Kennedy of Australia, took the victory with a clearance of 15-11 (4.85m).
Moon over the last few weeks has been battling issues with her Achilles tendon, which initially flared up during the indoor season, and has limited her training.
After the Olympic break, the Wanda Diamond League series resumes on August 22nd with Athletissima meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.
SAM ELLIS WINS IN JOENSUU...
In Joensuu, Finland, Washington alum Sam Ellis won the men's 800 meters at the Motonet GP Joensuu Saturday.
Ellis, the 2023 Pac-12 800 meter champion, took the victory, which was his first on his current European tour, running 1:47.72 to beat a field that included training partner and two-time NCAA 1500 meter champ Joe Waskom.
Ellis was boxed in third entering the homestretch when he found a gap and went to the outside, passing the two leaders with less than 40 meters to go.
Waskom, who never ran the 800 during his time at the University of Washington, made a hard charge from about sixth place and finished third in 1:48.03.
CARLEY THOMAS GET THE VICTORY IN BELGIUM...
In Ninove, Belgium, recent Washington grad Carley Thomas ran a season best 2:00.63 in the 800 meters to win the race at the Flanders Cup Ninove Memorial Rasschaert Saturday night.
Thomas took the win over Christina Aragon of the Eugene based Nike Bowerman Track Club, as Aragon finished second in 2:01.93.
Seattle resident Sam Prakel finished sixth in the men's 800, running a personal best 1:46.16 in a race won by France's Thomas Marques de Andrade in 1:45.49.
In a separate section, Washington alum Luke Houser set a personal best, running 1:49.13.
NOTE: The Wanda Diamond League, Flanders Cup Ninove Memorial Rasschaert, and the Motonet GP Joensuu contributed to this report.
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