Michelle-Lee Ahye finished strong to strike gold in the Women's 100 Metres dash at the Palio Citta della Quercia meet in Rovereto, Italy, yesterday.

Ahye stopped the clock at 11.20 seconds, the adidas-sponsored Trinidad and Tobago track star getting to the line ahead of Candice Hill in a tight tussle for the title. Hill clocked 11.21 for silver, with bronze at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver meet going to her fellow American Kayla White in 11.24.

The Rovereto 100 was Ahye's second century outing since the Tokyo Olympics, where she missed out on a championship race lane by one-thousandth of a second. Last Tuesday, in Budapest, Hungary, the Carenage sprinter was fourth in 11.16 seconds. Jamaican Natasha Morrison, the winner of that race in 11-flat, was forced to settle for fifth spot in Rovereto in 11.26.

In Budapest, Ahye anchored an international team to victory in the Women's 4x100m relay in 43.26 seconds. She combined with Morrison and Americans Taliyah Brooks and Nnenya Hailey.

There was another Independence Day podium finish for T&T, Deon Lendore securing Men's 400m bronze in Rovereto. Lendore got home in 45.19 seconds. American Michael Cherry was golden in a meet record time of 44.55. Botswana's Isaac Makwala was second in 45.02.

Running in lane five, Lendore kept close tabs on Makwala, in six, eventually moving past the veteran quarter-miler to launch a bid for gold. Cherry, though, was strongest in the latter stages of the race, powering to the line for a comfortable victory. Makwala clawed his way back on the home straight to snatch silver from Lendore.