It was a nail-biting climax. As the best female 100m hurdlers in the world lined up at the Diamond Race final in Brussels last September, three of them knew it was all or nothing.
After six IAAF Diamond League meetings, Jasmin Stowers, Sharika Nelvis and Dawn Harper Nelson were all tied on ten points. Whichever of them crossed the finish line first would win the Diamond Race.
In the end, the three women occupied all three spots on the podium. It was Harper Nelson, however, who triumphed, running to victory in 12.63 seconds to claim a fourth consecutive Diamond Trophy.
Harper Nelson had been given a run for her money, but, as in previous years, she showed the mettle required to emerge victorious from a season long battle in the IAAF Diamond League. Her fourth Diamond Race triumph means she now ranks alongside the likes of Valerie Adams and Kaliese Spencer as the joint most successful female athlete in Diamond League history.
When the competition began in 2010, the as of yet unmarried Dawn Harper was still fighting through a prolonged absence through injury. She only returned to outdoor competition at the start of the 2011 season, and it wasn't until 2012 that she began to light up the Diamond Race.
In Zürich that year, she overtook Kellie Wells at the last with victory in the final. It was to be the start of a long period of dominance for Harper in the competition. In 2013, now Harper Nelson, she was imperious, winning five out of seven meetings including the final to defend her trophy by a margin of 17 points.
In the following year, she found herself trailing Queen Harrison by four points ahead of the final. Having lost to Harrison twice during the season, she put her compatriot to the sword in Zürich, taking victory to wrap up a hat trick of titles.
Never before had Harper Nelson had two competitors fighting her neck and neck for the Diamond Trophy as she did in 2015. But as the likes of Wells and Harrison had been trumped at the proverbial final hurdle before, so Stowers and Nelvis were beaten in 2015.
The perfect combination of a consistent performer and a final specialist, it is easy to see why the American has been so dominant in the Diamond Race.
