Bengaluru, August 23: Jamaica's Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah won the women's 100M in the second-fastest time ever at the Prefontaine Classic, a World Athletics (WA) sanctioned Diamond League event, crossing the finishing line in 10.54sec.

Thompson-Herah said she surprised even herself, beating Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce by nearly two-tenths of a second.

Shericka Jackson finished third to repeat the Jamaicans' Tokyo 2020 podium sweep.

American Florence Griffith-Joyner is the only woman to have clocked a faster time over the distance, having set the world record of 10.49 seconds in 1988.

"I'm a little bit surprised because I've not run that fast in five years and I actually ran fast at the championships. But to come back here after two weeks to run another personal best is a really amazing," Thompson-Herah tweeted.

"Not bad for a diamond league season 100m opener. New PB, NR, DLR second fastest time ever. Thank you all so much for the love and support. Continuous improvement is the order of the day. Face throwing a kiss #Hiswill #HisGlory #HistoryBooks #Faith#Fearless," the sprint queen added in another tweet.

The WA-sanctioned Diamond League race at Hayward Field was heralded as Sha'Carri Richardson's return to the sport after a positive marijuana test, as well as a showdown against the Jamaicans that many had hoped to see in Japan, but she brought up the rear.

"Actually just to be back doing what it is that I have a passion for, that's in my heart, that navigates me day-to-day, was a blessing," Richardson said afterward, vowing that better finishes are to come.

Richardson won the 100M on the same track at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in June, becoming a sensation with her long, colorful nails and big personality. But her title was stripped after she tested positive for marijuana shortly after the race.

She was handed a 30-day suspension that kept her out of the event in Tokyo and was later left off the US team as part of the relay pool, although her suspension would have been completed by the time of the 4x100 race.

Star-studded field

The star-studded field for the event included 47 medalists from the Tokyo 2020 Games.

The Prefontaine Classic, named after renowned Oregon runner Steve Prefontaine, is the eighth stop on the WA-sanctioned Diamond League schedule which started with Gateshead on May 23 and is the only US based meet. This year's star-studded event will serve as a preview for next year's World Championships scheduled at Hayward Field.

In the men's 100M event, Tokyo bronze medallist Andre de Grasse won in a wind-aided 9.74, with Americans Fred Kerley and Ronnie Baker finishing in 9.78 and 9.82, respectively.

American Noah Lyles surged out of the turn to win the men's 200M in a world-leading 19.52sec.

Olympic champion Athing Mu won the women's 800M in 1:55.04.

Dalilah Muhammad made light work of the 400M hurdles, winning in 52.77, while in the women's 3,000M steeplechase, Kenya's Norah Jeruto put up a world-leading 8:53.65 to win.

There were also wins for Canada's Marco Arop (men's 800M, 1:44.51s), Kenyan Norah Jeruto (steeplechase, 8:53.65), Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (women's 1,500, 3:53.230), USA's Ryan Crouser (men's shot put, 23.15M), Pedro Pechardo of Portugal (men's triple jump, 17.63M).

The next WA-Diamond League will be held on August 26 at Lausanne in Switzerland.

That will be followed by Paris (August 28), Brussels (September 3) before the series winds up with a double-header in Zurich (September 8, 9).

(With inputs from Agencies/World Athletics Media)