Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent won the 100m Hurdles Diamond League and US$50,000 (J$7.9m) while Tia Clayton’s World Championship wild card qualification fell short as she was second in the 100m at the Zurich Diamond League final on Thursday.

Clayton had to win the final to qualify for the World Championship in Tokyo next month, but after a brilliant start, she could not hold off the Olympic champion Julian Alfred, who powered home in 10.76 (0.3 m/s).

Clayton was second in 10.84, well clear of third-placed Jose Marie Ta Lou in 10.94.

“Coming second at a Diamond League final means a lot to me, but it is not what I wanted. I wanted to win. Coming here, my coach told me that I could win today. So, I am not proud of myself. I wanted to make it to the world championships with a wild card,” said Clayton, who pulled up at the Jamaican Championship.

However, Tia Clayton walked away with US$30,000 (J$4.8m) for her effort, and based on her recent form, she will be giving the Jamaican selectors food for thought for the 4×100 relay pool.

Earlier, Nugent, who was the only Jamaican to win a Diamond League trophy, sped to an impressive season best of 12.30 to win the 100 hurdles ahead of Ditaji Kambundji in 12.40. Fellow Jamaican Danielle Williams was fourth in 12.44.

Nugent’s time puts her seventh in the world ranking, and she said it shows that she is in really good shape. “My strength is there, and some consistency is there too, and as we get closer to the World Championships, some adjustments need to be made,” she pointed out. “With me at every race, I try to focus on myself rather than controlling the race itself, hoping that I can put up my best performance. When I run, I just ask the Lord to help fulfil my dreams, and lock everything out. All I can and want to hear is the sound of the start gun, nothing else.”

With no Kishane Thompson or Oblique Seville around in the men’s 100m, Ackeem Blake was a close third, clocking 9.99 (-0.4 m/s). Christian Coleman won in 9.97 ahead of Akani Simbine in 9.98.

Andrennette Knight was on the podium in the women’s 400 hurdles, clocking 53.76 for third behind winner Femke Bol in 52.18.

Jordan Scott was fourth in the men’s triple jump with a leap of 17.16m behind the winner Andy Hernandez of Italy with 17.56m. Jamaica’s Shaneika Ricketts was fifth in the women’s equivalent with 14.35m won by Cuba’s Leyanis Hernandez with 14.91m.

Orlando Bennett was seventh in the men’s 110 hurdles in 13.35, won by American Cordell Tinch in 12.92, while Carey McLeod was fifth in the long jump with 8.07m, won by Simon Ehammar of Switzerland in 8.32m.

Romaine Beckford leapt 2.22m for fourth in the men’s high jump as Hamish Kerr of New Zealand won with 2.32m.