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The hour of truth is less than 24 hours away, but it was clear that all the big guns were conserving energy for when it will be most needed later today.
Usain Bolt, Jacques Harvey and Mario Forsythe were the first to advance yesterday to this evening’s semi-final round of the men’s 100m competition at the Jamaica National Senior Trials to select the track and field team to the London Olympics in July. Bolt cruised to a 10.06 secs win (0.2w) a head of Harvey, who registered 10.15 and Bolt’s teammate Forsythe (10.18). Kimari Roach and Rasheed Dwyer pulled through as two of the four fastest losers.
Then Bolt’s training partner Yohan Blake was the fastest of the qualifiers, taking the second heat in 10secs flat (0.8w) ahead of rising sprinter Kemar Bailey-Cole in 10.12 and Oshane Bailey (10.26).
But it was Asafa Powell in particular and his MVP club mate Nesta Carter in the third heat who were greeted with the loudest cheers even before their names were called as they the line-up for the qualifier. Powell followed Carter home in the same time of 10.19 (0.2w), noting that the race was only the heats. Nicholas Watson was the third qualifier in 10.23.
In the final heat, Frater (10.09, 1.3w) won ahead of Lerone Clarke (10.15) and Kenroy Anderson (10.24). The other two fastest losers to advance, Dexter Lee and Winston Barnes, were from this race.
The stage is now set for 16 of Jamaica’s fastest men to battle for the eight places in a final that the world eagerly awaits. In the first semi-final, Barnes, Roach, Powell, Blake, Harvey, Carter, Forsythe, and Bailey will run for their lives to make it through. In the second race, Lee, Watson, Frater, Bailey-Cole, Clarke, Dwyer, Anderson, a
nd Bolt will gun for the next four lanes.
The semi-finals are set for 7:25 p.m. today and the final will be run at 9:25.
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