Above: Kirani James
By Lincoln Depradine
Kirani James has done it again.
After the 19-year-old Grenadian star won the 400 meters on August 30 at the World Championships in South Korea in 44.60 seconds, he bettered his own World Championship mark yesterday in Zurich.
James blew away American LaShawn Merritt in a Diamond League race in Zurich, Switzerland.
“As a government and a nation, let us be inspired by the exploits of our national athletes, especially Kirani James, our home-grown world championship,’’ Prime Minister Tillman Thomas said Thursday in addressing to a town hall meeting at the Grenada Trade Centre.
With Thursday’s win, James moved to the top of the Diamond League table with 12 points.
His time of 44.36 seconds is a personal best and a new Grenada national record, beating the previous 44.47 set by Alleyne Francique in 2004.
The world time is 44.35 and is held by Merritt.
Grenadian Rondell Bartholomew also competed in Thursday’s Zurich race. He was fourth in 45.43 second.
And Jamaican Yohan Blake, who won the 100 in South Korea, blasted his way to a new personal best in Zurich on his way to beating compatriot Asafa Powell.
Blake won in 9.82 seconds – lowering his previous mark of 9.89. Powell was second in 9.95 seconds.