Dafne Schippers clocked a world-leading performance in the 200m to highlight the 35th edition of the FBK Games in Hengelo, an IAAF World Challenge meeting, on Sunday (22).
Competing on home turf for the first time this outdoor season, the world 200m champion clocked 22.03 in rainy conditions to win by more than a second and improve on her previous seaons's best of 22.25 which paced the world for the last four weeks.
"This was much better than my first race in Gainesville," said Schippers, who also eclipsed the previous stadium record of 22.46 set by LaVerne Jones-Ferrette in 2009.
"It was my third race of the weekend. This means that I'm in good shape and that's important, because I hope that I can do four races at the Europeans in Amsterdam and eight in Rio."
Jodie Williams of Great Britain was a distant second in 23.06 with USA's Tiffany Townsend third clocking 23.12. Schippers raced earlier as part of the Dutch ?A' squad in the 4x100m relay which was disqualified in a race won by a Chinese quartet in 43.36. Likewise, two-time Olympic 100m finalist Churandy Martina was also pleased with his two 100m races in his first outings of the season over the distance.
The Dutchman won his heat in 10.08 (w +1.2) and the final in 10.12 (w-0.4). "I knew that things were going well in training," Martina said, "but you never know how that will translate in races, so I'm very happy with the results from today."
Ghanaian Sean Safo-Antwi edged Ramond Gittens from Barbados for second, each credited with 10.24. Kim Collins was a few ticks back in fourth clocking 10.28.
