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Kingston, June 30: Fast-rising hurdler Hansel Parchment continues to grab attention as he clocked a 13.18secs (+1.3w) personal best (PB) to defeat the defending national champion Andrew Riley and take the 110m hurdles title at the Jamaica Trials here tonight.
Parchment after his win.
DPalmer photo
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Parchment, who last year defeated the 2010 national champion and who recently scored double victory at the United States NCAA Championships in the 110m hurdles and the 100m, also ran a PB in 13.19. He joined the professional ranks when he was signed by Puma this week.
Parchment, Riley and third-place finisher Richard Phillips (13.43) will represent Jamaica in the sprint hurdles at the July-August London Olympics.
Another bright star on the sprint horizon Warren Weir looked impressive in his 200m heat running second to 100m champion and club mate Yohan Blake in a quick sub-20secs PB. With the look of more to come, Weir registered 19.99 secs (1.7w) to Blake’s 19.93, the fastest time of the semi-finals. A loaded field that includes double world record holder Usain Bolt and Nickel Ashmeade with a 19.19 PB promises to be another cracker tomorrow.
Sprinters were not the only ones in the spotlight on the third and penultimate day of the Trials as 20-year-old Travis Smikle threw the discus 67.12m to break the stadium record and achieve the A qualifying standard (65m) for London. He defeated national record holder Jason Morgan at 67.15m and former high school teammate Chad Wright, 61.93 and 59.69, respectively.
Another event around much excitement is swirling is the women’s 200m final, which will feature a clash between 200m sprint queen and Olympic and World Champion Veronica Campbell-Brown (VCB) and defending Olympic champion and newly crowned national champion and record holder Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. Yesterday, the younger Fraser-Pryce stormed the 100m track in a stunning 10.70secs, defeating VCB (10.82) in impressive style.
Meanwhile, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, the 2008 Olympic 100m co-silver medalists, as well as Anneisha McLaughlin, a 2009 World 200m finalist, are expected to battle for one of the top three spots.
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