Wenda Nel finishes with a flourish in Rome

Wenda Nel produced her best performance of the season, delivering a strong kick on Thursday night to finish third in the women’s 400m hurdles race at the Diamond League meeting in Rome.

Lying sixth off the bend, Nel chased down three athletes in the home straight to cross the line in 54.58, just 0.21 outside her two-year-old personal best.

Janieve Russell of Jamaica won the race in 54.15.

Distance runner Dom Scott-Efurd, the only other SA athlete taking part at the fourth leg of the Diamond League series, took 13th place in the women’s 5 000m race.

While she was well off the pace of Kenyan Hellen Obiri, who won in 14.18.37, Scott-Efurd chopped 4.50 seconds off her career best, completing the event in 15:20.10 to achieve the B-standard qualifying mark and open the door for selection to the World Championships in London later this season.

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