On the rebound from an injury-plagued season last year, Danielle Williams won a close race over 60m hurdles on Friday (January 28) at the World Athletics Indoor Gold Tour meeting in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Williams, the 2015 World 100m hurdles champion, clocked a personal-best 7.84 to win in a photo finish ahead of France’s Cyrena Samba-Mayela, who recorded the same time.

Finland’s Reetta Hurske finished third in 7.96, also a personal best.

“It was fast, of course, but I am never satisfied. I always want to run faster,” said the 2019 World Championship bronze medalist, who opened with a 7.92 run at Clemson earlier this month. “Nevertheless, the personal best gives me a good feeling for the upcoming season.”

PASCAL MARTINOT-LAGARDE WINS MEN’S RACE

Williams gave a hint of what was to come in the final when she eased to a 7.89s to win her preliminary round.

Meanwhile, Olympic bronze medalist, who had a promising start in the final, appeared to lose her rhythm mid-race and jogged across the line in 10.92.

The men’s equivalent was won by France’s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, who ran a world-leading 7.54 to finish ahead of Spain’s Enrique Llopis and Poland’s Jakub Szymanski, who clocked respective PBs of 7.59 and 7.60.

Barbados’ Tristan Evelyn was third in the final of the Women’s 60m dash in a time of 7.33. The race was won by Spanish youngster Isabel Maria Perez in 7.21, which equaled her previous all-time best. Patrizia van der Weken of Luxembourg was second in 7.29