World and Olympics double-gold medalist Jamaica’s Usain Bolt leads a strong contingent of Caribbean track athlete to the 50th Ostrava Golden Spike Challenge today in the Czech Republic. Bolt is slated to compete in the 100m after opening up his season last Thursday at the Golden Gala meet in Rome with a 9.91secs performance, narrowly beating compatriot Asafa Powell (9.93) in the process.
Bolt, the 100m record holder at 9.58 second had not competed for over eight months until last week and is looking to improve on his recent 9.91secs run. He will be challenged by compatriot Steve Mullings, who has the world-leading time of 9.89 in the 100m. Antigua’s Daniel Bailey, as well as the St. Kitts’s national record holder Kim Collins, is also set to compete.
Other Caribbean stars scheduled to compete are Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown in the women’s 100m, who ran 10.92 to beat USA’s ace, Carmelita Jeter. Campbell-Brown, the reigning indoor 60m champion has improved her start and will be faced by compatriot Schillonie Calvert, who ran a personal best 11.05 a few days ago. Also in the mix is the veteran Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie.
The men’s 110m hurdles contest feature Cuba’s world-record holder Dayron Robles, Jamaica’s Dwight Thomas and Barbados’s Ryan Braithwaite. Robles has a recent world-leading and season-best 13.07secs and will be gunning for his first sub-13 performance of the 2011 season.
Jamaica’s Josef Robertson will contest the 400m hurdles. He will face three Americans led by Kerron Clement. .
Jamaica’s Yohan Blake will race against compatriot Marvin Anderson and USA’s Shawn Crawford in his first 200m outing of the season. Blake, who is coming off a sensational 2010 season in which he ran a personal best 9.89 in the 100m and 19.78 in the 200m, clocked a wind-aided 9.80 in the 100m at Jamaica Invitational in early May.