By MWANGALA LISELI –
RUNNER Mupopo Kabange clocked her season personal best despite finishing in a disappointing seventh position at the International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF) Diamond League in Doha, Qatar.
Kabange timed 51.88 seconds which was better than the 52.67 seconds clocked during the Diamond League held in Jamaica two weeks ago though her best time stands at 50.87 seconds that saw her clinch the African 400m title in Marrakech, Morocco.
The race was won by United States of America (USA) runner McCorory Francena, who timed 50.21 seconds, to beat Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games 400m champion McPherson Stephenie of Jamaica, who finished third on 50.93 seconds to record her season best.
Francena, the fastest woman in 2014, also upstaged Olympic champion and World leader Richard-Ross Sanya who clocked 50.79 seconds.
In fourth place was Jamaican Williams-Mills Noviene on 51.28 seconds followed by Hastings Natasha, also from the USA, on 51.50 seconds with Day Christine of Jamaica on 51.53 seconds.
Mupopo, who slowed down considerably as she approached the finishing line, managed to beat Italian Grenot Libania who timed 52.50, to record her personal best in the race that attracted eight runners on Friday night.
Meanwhile, Mupopo will now head to Germany where she will link up with Saviour Kombe and USA based sprinter Gerald Phiri for a training camp until July and the trio will will take part in the Diamond League to be held in Netherlands next month.
Sprinter Sydney Siame will is among the four runners that will represent Zambia at Diamond League to be held in Dakar, Senegal this Saturday.
Siame, who won gold in 100m at Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympics with a time of 10:56 seconds and recently won bronze at the Africa Junior Athletics Championship, will be joined by 200m runner Titus Kafunda.
Also in the team for the World Challenge that starts on May 23 are Kombe and Rhoda Njovu, who will race in the men and women 400m races respectively.

Times of Zambia

400 Metres

1 McCorory , Francena              USA      50.21

2 Richards-Ross , Sanya            USA      50.79

3 McPherson , Stephenie Ann        JAM      50.93

4 Williams-Mills , Novlene         JAM      51.28

5 Hastings , Natasha               USA      51.50

6 Day , Christine                  JAM      51.53

7 Mupopo , Kabange                 ZAM      51.88

8 Grenot , Libania                 ITA      52.50