Usain Bolt, Daniel Bailey, Yohan Blake – all three from Racers Track Club in Jamaica and conditioned by Glen Mills – ran 1-2-3 in the 100m yesterday at the highly touted Paris Golden League meet July 16. Bolt (Jam) clocked 9.79 secs. (-0.2 m/s) in the rain and cold temperature (19/55 degrees) to set a new meet record and season’s best, and pull home with him teammates Bailey (Antigua & Barbuda), 9.91 for his personal and national record, and 19-yr-old Blake, 9.93 for his personal best.
The fact that the Paris Golden League was the 4th leg of the IAAF Golden League $1Million Jackpot, and that the four remaining contenders won their events and stayed alive for the Jackpot appeared to be a mere footnote as Bolt’s spectacular performance as well as his playful antics before and after his race captivated the fans. Up next for Bolt is the 100m at the Aviva London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace on July 24.
On June 10 under better weather conditions in Rome, Blake went under 10 secs. for the first time with an impressive 9.96 and became Jamaica's joint third-fastest male sprinter of all-time along with Raymond Stewart. His 9.93 is the 6th fastest in the world this season. Trinidad & Tobago’s 2008 Olympics 100m silver medalist Richard Thompson posted 10.04 to complete the Caribbean quartet affair.
Bailey was out of the blocks like a bullet while Bolt did not get off to a good start compared to the others. He was late out; however, it wasn’t long before Bolt overhauled him and Blake who also left the block in a hurry. His time is 2/100th of a second slower than American Tyson Gay's world-leading mark of 9.77secs, done in Rome in more favorable weather. One can only wonder what Bolts time would have been if conditions were ideal.
Jamaica's Kerron Stewart captured the 100m in an impressive 10.99 secs. and kept alive her chances of winning the $1m Jackpot. Stewart, formerly of St. Jago High School, caught the field at some 40 meters and won going away. Bahamas’s Chandra Sturrup was 2nd in 11.15, followed by Jamaica’s Aleen Bailey in 11.26. Trinidad & Tobago’s Kelly Baptiste finished 7th in 11.34.
Novlene Williams-Mills of Jamaica finished 2nd in the women’s 400m in 50.39 secs. behind USA’s Sanya Richards (49.34sec). Williams was in contention up to the 300m mark, before Richards orchestrated an impressive stretch run and won in sub-50 for the 37th times in her career. Amantle Montsho of Botswana was 3rd (50.61), followed by Debbie Dunn of the US in 4th (50.66).
Other outstanding performances by Caribbean athletes included Bahamas’s Chris Brown 2nd place finish in the men’s 400m in 45.44, behind USA’s Jeremy Wariner (45.28). Ricardo Chambers (Jam) was 6th in 45.87.
Dwight Thomas (Jam), who is really coming into form, had a personal best 13.30 secs. in the 110m hurdles for a 2nd place finish behind USA Dexter Faulk (13.14). Thomas recently switched to the 110m hurdles after competing in the 100m for several years. Prior to this season, his personal record in the 110m hurdles was 13.34.
Melanie Walker, the Olympic 400m hurdles champion and record-holder, was 2nd in 54.47 sec. Poland’s Anna Jesien won the event in 54.37 sec. with Trinidad & Tobago’s Josanne Lucas 4th in 54.88 and Nickiesha Wilson (Jam) in 6th in 56.42. Walker, who has a lifetime best 52.64 established in Beijing, has been hampered by injury and seems to be improving in good time for Berlin.
In the women’s 100m hurdles, the Jamaica duo of Delloreen Ennis-London (12.81) and Lacena Golding-Clarke (13.14) finished 4th and 7th respectively behind winner Dawn Harper (12.68) of the US.