Yaime Perez improves to 69.39m in Sotteville les Rouen (© Jean Pierre Durand)
Yaimé Perez threw a world-leading 69.39m in the discus throw to highlight the Pro Athlé tour meeting in Sotteville les Rouen, France, on Tuesday (16).
In a spirited battle with Cuban compatriot Denia Caballero, Perez struck first, reaching 69.08m in the opening round, just 11 centimetres shy of her 69.19m lifetime best set at this meeting in 2017.
Caballero responded in the second round with a 69.08m effort of her own, but only pushed Pérez on to one of the 28-year-old's most consistent series of her career. After a 65.97m in the second round, she followed up with a 66.89m in the third and 68.44m in the fourth. After fouling in the fifth, she nailed the winning 69.39m in the final round, a lifetime best and new world lead.
Caballero, who arrived as the world leader at 69.20m, didn't improve, and had to settle for second.
The pair are the most dominant discus throwers in the world a the moment, owning the seven best throws of the season (Pérez four, Caballero three), 10 of the best 11 and 16 of the farthest 17.
Amusan threatens African record
Nigerian Tobi Amusan dominated the 100m hurdles, clocking 12.49 to shatter her previous lifetime best of 12.57. The performance elevated the 22-year-old, who raced to the 2017 NCAA title and took the African title on home soil in Asaba last year, to second on the African all-time list, 0.05 shy of Glory Alozie's Area record set 21 years ago. Amusan now sits third on the 2019 season list.
Queen Claye was second in 12.63, a season's best.
Elsewhere, 2015 world champion Yarisley Silva won the pole vault with a 4.70m clearance, a season's best. Aleksandro Melo of Brazil won the triple jump with a 17.20m (+2.0 m/s) leap.
Kenyan Alfred Kipketer won the 800m in 1:45.59 ahead of Algerian Taoufik Makhloufi, the 2012 Olympic 1500m champion and double silver medallist at the 2016 games in Rio. It was the 31-year-old Makhloufi's first race in nearly three years.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
