Jan. 30: The night of Saturday, January 28 at Madison Square Garden belonged to the Caribbean. It was the first meet in the US Track and Field Visa Championship series, and there was no stopping the sprinters from Jamaica and Trinidad, who took three of the six sprinting events, including the two premier races.
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Asafa Powell (3rd right, top photo) and Veronica Campbell-Brown (2nd right, bottom) power their way down the 50m stretch at Madison Square Garden in New York Saturday night.
DPalmer photos
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First, Trinidad and Tobago’s quarter-miler Renny Quow (1:11.20) defeated Bershawn “Batman” Jackson (1:11.31) in the men’s 600 yards. Tabarie Henry of the US Virgin Islands was third in 1:11.75.
Then Jamaica’s veteran queen Veronica Campbell-Brown (VCB) turned up the heat with her blast-off from the blocks to capture the 50m in 6.08secs ahead of USA’s Jessica Young (6.20), Nigeria’s Gloria Asumnu (6.22), British Virgin Island’s Tahesia Harrigan (6.25), USA’s Bianca Knight (6.28) and Alexandria Anderson (6.28). Though VCB is no stranger to New York track fans, it was the first time that she was contesting this event.
And as VCB cooled down, her countryman Asafa Powell
, who after eight years of not running indoors, lined up with five other men, including compatriot and club training partner Nesta Carter
. Powell did not produce one of his usual fast starts but quickly accelerated to the front to win in 5.64 and take the trophy for the most outstanding athlete of the meet. It was the fastest 50m in a decade. Carter was second in 5.67, followed by the US pair of Trell Kimmons (5.68) and Justin Gatlin (5.71), Jamaica’s Kimari Roach (5.74), and Antigua’s Daniel Bailey 5.75).
There was no Caribbean representative in the women’s 50m hurdles, which USA’s Lolo Jones (6.78) won over Tiffany Porter (6.830 of Great Britain and five other US competitors.
In the men’s edition, Jamaica’s Richard Phillips (6.58) trailed the field of US hurdlers. Terrence Trammell won the race over David Oliver with 6.45 and 6.50, respectively.
Christine Amertil of the Bahamas was the lone Caribbean athlete in the women’s 500 yards. The quarter-miler, who is returning after a break from the track, ran fourth behind three US athletes. The event was won by Keshia Baker in 1:03.74, while Sawn Dorr second in 1:04.35 and Jasmine Chaney third in 1:05.9.