Campbell explodes to 22.59m as Jamaica’s Diamond League contenders tune up

Rajindra Campbell could hardly have scripted a more emphatic final tune-up for the Diamond League finale.

The Jamaican Olympic Games shot put bronze medalist produced a stunning 22.59-meter effort at the World Continental Tour Silver meeting in Brescia, Italy, on Sunday, ripping his own national record higher and sending an unmistakable warning ahead of this weekend’s Diamond League Final in Brussels, Belgium.

Campbell’s throw eclipsed the 22.44m mark he established in June and moved him to 13th on the all-time world list.

More significantly, the Jamaican’s latest blast ranks second in the world this year, trailing only Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri, whose season best stands at 22.75m.

And Campbell did not merely break his own record.

He beat Fabbri head-to-head.

The Italian had to settle for second at 21.99m as Campbell produced the performance of the meeting and carried his momentum directly into the biggest stage of the Diamond League season.

With Brussels now looming, Campbell appears to have found precisely the kind of form he wanted at the end of a long campaign.

Pryce keeps building momentum

Campbell was not the only Jamaican to make noise in Europe.

National 400m record holder Nickisha Pryce continued her encouraging late-season surge by winning the women’s 400m in 49.27 seconds.

The margin was razor-thin, with Salwa Eid Naser credited with the same time for second place.

National champion Stacey-Ann Williams was also firmly in the mix, crossing third in 49.92 seconds.

Pryce’s performance provided another boost ahead of the weekend’s Diamond League climax, where Jamaica will again look to its leading performers to finish the season on a high.

Moore, Nugent and Mason fight for position

Ashanti Moore also produced a strong showing in the women’s 200m, clocking 22.47 seconds for second place.

Nigeria’s Favour Ofili won the race in 22.03 seconds.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Ackera Nugent finished third in 12.75 seconds, behind Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who took victory in 12.56 seconds, and American Alysha Johnson, who was second in 12.62 seconds.

Tyler Mason, Jamaica’s World Athletics Championships 110m hurdles bronze medalist, narrowly missed the podium after finishing fourth in 13.30 seconds.

The Americans swept the top three positions, led by Bradley Franklin in 13.20 seconds. Cordell Tinch was second in 13.25 seconds, while Jamal Britt finished third in 13.29 seconds.

Commonwealth Games champion Navasky Anderson also lined up in Brescia but finished 10th in the men’s 800m in 1:46.12 minutes.

Stona adds another podium finish

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s field-event strength was further underlined in Switzerland, where Roje Stona secured second place in the men’s discus at the World Continental Tour Silver meeting at Galà dei Castelli in Bellinzona.

Stona, who will also contest the Diamond League Final in Brussels, threw 68.14m.

The competition was won by Lithuania’s Mykolas Alekna, who produced a commanding 71.50m.

For Stona, however, the second-place finish represented another productive outing immediately before the season-ending Diamond League showdown.

Simmonds and Richards keep Jamaica on the podium

Megan Simmonds added another Jamaican podium finish in the women’s 100m hurdles, taking second in 12.54 seconds.

American Reyaniah Jones won in 12.44 seconds, while Switzerland’s world champion Ditaji Kambundji finished third in 12.71 seconds.

Jamaica also claimed second in the men’s high jump through Raymond Richards, who cleared 2.24m.

American Juvaughn Harrison took the event with 2.28m.

Tougher nights for Blake and Williams

Not every Jamaican enjoyed the same level of success.

Ackeem Blake finished sixth in the men’s 100m in 10.12 seconds, while Lavanya Williams placed eighth in the women’s 100m in 11.53 seconds.

Their results contrasted sharply with the fireworks elsewhere, but the bigger picture remains the approach to Brussels and the opportunity for Jamaica’s leading athletes to close the Diamond League season at its most prestigious meeting.

Brussels beckons

The weekend’s results have sharpened the focus on the Diamond League Final.

Campbell arrives with perhaps the loudest statement of them all.

A 22.59m national record, a victory over Fabbri and the second-best mark in the world this year have transformed his final pre-Brussels outing into a major declaration of intent.

Pryce is also carrying strong momentum after her 49.27-second victory, while Stona enters the finale after another podium performance.

For Jamaica, the European tune-up could scarcely have delivered a more encouraging combination of power, speed and competitive edge.

Now the warm-up is over.

Brussels awaits.