Toronto’s Aaron Brown runs season best 200 at Diamond League event in Birmingham

Aug 20, 2017 | 11:45 AM

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — Toronto’s Aaron Brown ran a season best 20.30 seconds in the men’s 200-metre sprint on Sunday to take bronze in Diamond League competition.

Turkey’s Ramil Guliyev took gold in 20.17 seconds and Ameer Webb of the United States was second in 20.26.

Brown had been disqualified at the world championships for a lane violation.

Also on Sunday, Brandon McBride of Windsor, Ont., was fourth in the men’s 800 metres, finishing in 1:45.39, just 0.06 seconds out of a medal.

Mohammed Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., was fifth in the men’s mile.

Michael Mason of New Westminster, B.C., was seventh in the high jump, clearing 2.20 metres.

Alysha Newman of London, Ont., placed eighth in the women’s pole vault, topping out at 4.51 metres.

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah signed off track racing in Britain by winning the 3,000 metres . The 34-year-old Farah, who is quitting track to focus on marathon running, won in 7:38.64 seconds.

“Emotions have been high coming into this event – not as much as (the 2012 Olympics in) London but it is my last time at home and I really enjoyed it,” said Farah, who paid tribute to the home fans.

“They have been amazing. This is what it is all about. This is what we dream of. I’ve had some amazing support throughout my career and they have followed my journey so thank you.”

Farah will retire from the track at the Diamond League finals in Zurich on Thursday.

Adam Gemili was disqualified after a false start in the 100 final, won by Chijindu Ujah in 10.08 seconds ahead of an all-British field.

Another British runner, Dwayne Cowan, won the 400 in 45.34.

World record holder Aries Merritt won the 110-metre hurdles in 13.29 ahead of Russia’s Sergey Shubenkov, competing as an authorized neutral athlete. Another American, Devon Allen, was third.

In women’s events, Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica won the 100 in 10.93, while Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain took the 400 gold ahead of an American trio of Allyson Felix, Courtney Okolo and Phyllis Francis.

Habitam Alemu of Ethiopia won the 800.

The Canadian Press