Christian Taylor produced a personal best in the triple jump to upset defending world champion Phillips Idowu on an encouraging day for American athletes at the Crystal Palace Diamond League meet Saturday. US champion Taylor recorded a leap of 17.68 meters, while Idowu's best of 17.07 was only good enough for third behind Tosin Oke of Nigeria. Three weeks before she defends her world title in Daegu, South Korea, Sanya Richards-Ross of the United States found her form in the 400 meters after missing all of last season through injury. She clocked a season's best time of 49.66 seconds for her first international victory since 2009. Carmelita Jeter in the 100 meters, and Walter Dix in the 200 were other American winners on the second day of action at the last Diamond League meet before the world championships begin Aug. 27. The 21-year-old Taylor produced his best ever jump in the third round of the triple jump, beating his previous mark of 17.40 and upstaging Idowu in front of the Londoner's home crowd. Richards-Ross hadn't won a race in eight attempts since returning to action after a year out with abdominal injuries. She posted easily her best 400 time of the season as she dipped under 50 seconds for the first time. While Richards-Ross appeared to have rediscovered her form at just the right time with the worlds looming, Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu was way off the pace as she trailed in last. “I haven't done enough work to challenge these girls,” said the British athlete. Ohuruogu has a best of 51.49 this year, some distance from her quickest time of 49.61, but Richards-Ross expects the 2007 world champion to challenge in Daegu. Jeter underlined her status as favorite for the women's 100 in Daegu with another victory, her sixth of the season and third straight, finishing in 10.93. Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, both of Jamaica, were second and third. Olympic bronze medallist Dix staked his claim as the main threat to Usain Bolt in the 200 at the worlds, winning in a time of 20.16 seconds into a 2.0 meters-per-second headwind. The 25-year-old Dix finished ahead of Jamaica's Warren Weir, who clocked a personal best of 20.43.
