The latest anticipated clash between Jamaica’s two 100m superstars, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, fizzled out on the track yesterday, July 24, at the Aviva London Grand Prix meet, when Bolt destroyed the rest of field leaving Powell in 6th.
Bolt, who qualified with 10.31 secs. for second in Heat 2, clocked 9.91 easing down in the final against a
1.7 m/s wind, 0.2 secs. clear of second place Yohan Blake of Jamaica in 10.11. Antigua & Barbuda’s Daniel Bailey completed the top three places in 10.13.
Powell left the blocks well but faded after the half-way mark, registering only 10.26 secs. Earlier, the former world record holder clocked 10.19 in Heat 1. He told the BBC that his ankle injury “is coming on well.
Caribbean
athletes ruled again in the men’s 110 hurdles. Cuba’s world record holder, Dayron Robles who has not lost a race this season, led home
Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados into a 2.2 m/s head wind. They completed the event in 13.29 and 13.31 secs., respectively.
And in the women’s 200m, the Caribbean was out front again with 33-yr-old Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas winning in 23.11. The Virgin Island’s LaVerne Jones-Ferrette placed 4
th in 23.39, Aleen Bailey (Jam.) 6th in 23.59 and Cydonie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands 7th in 24.27.
In the men’s triple jump, Cuba’s Arnie David Girat (17.33m) was second to Brandon Roulhac (17.33) of the US. Roulhac had a supporting wind of 2.3 m/s while Girat had 1.9. Leevan Sands of the Bahamas place 4
th with 17.13 and Grenada’s Randy Lewis was 6th with 17.02.
Other results involving Caribbean athletes include:
Women’s 400m: Christine Amertil, Bah., 5
th in 52.20; Aliann Pompey (Guy.) 7th in 52.52. The race was won by Britain’s Nicola Sandersin in 51.54.
Women’s 800m: Neisha Bernard-Thomas, Gren, 10
th, in 2:04.55.
Women’s 4x100m: Bahamas (with Ferguson-McKenzie), 2
nd in 43.35. The USA with Lauryn Williams on lead-off and Carmilita Jeter on anchor ran 42.39.
The two-day meet is continuing today with several events including the men’s 200m, the women’s 100m hurdles and the men’s 4x100 in which the Racers Track Club of Jamaica should run Bolt, Blake and Bailey as it takes on two US teams, two British teams, Australia, Canada and Switzerland .