7 months ago
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Fans at the National Stadium in Kingston were treated to a grand display of world-class athletics as four of the eight events on the track produced world-leading times to close off day one action of the inaugural Grand Slam Track (GST) meet.
Christopher Bailey of the United States recorded the first world-leading time of the afternoon when he crossed the line first in the men’s long sprints 400 metres in a blistering 44.34 seconds.
Bailey edged out Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, 44.65, and American Vernon Norwood, 44.70.
The race would set the tone for the first day of the three-day track meet as soon after, USA’s Nikki Hiltz set another world lead and a new personal best in the women’s short distance 800m with her time of one minute 58.23 seconds.
Hiltz shaved close to a second off her previous personal best of 1:59.03 as she was chased all the way to the line by Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji who took second in 1:58.29 and Australia’s Jessica Hull clocking a personal best 1:58.58 for third.
Jamaican national champion Natoya Goule-Toppin clocked a season’s best 1:59.78 for sixth place.
COMPETITIVE DEBUT
The fastest woman to ever compete in the 400m hurdles, American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, did not disappoint in her competitive debut at the National Stadium as she led the field to a new world’s best of 52.76 seconds.
McLaughlin-Levrone was metres ahead of the field as second place went to her compatriot Dalilah Muhammad, 54.59, while Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton was third in 55.02.
After her race, McLaughlin-Levrone stated that it was a good test for her as she opened her season in dominant fashion.
“I’m just opening my season and walking away healthy. I’m just figuring out what the rest of the year will look like,” she said.
“There wasn’t so much of a plan but was just feeling the track, feeling the crowd and feeling the energy,” she added.
The Brazilian superstar Alisson Dos Santos delivered the last world-leading time of the day as he took the men’s long hurdles 400m hurdles in a time of 47.61.
Despite his conservative start, Dos Santos finished strong to cross the line ahead of the homegrown favourite Roshawn Clarke, 48.20, and USA’s Caleb Dean, 48.58.
In the event’s curtain closer, USA’s Kenneth Bednarek won the men’s short sprints 100m in a close race, stopping the clocking in 10.07 seconds.
He just edged Oblique Seville to the line as the Jamaica speedster finished in 10.08, with Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes finishing third in 10.13. Ackeem Blake, the other Jamaican in the race, was fourth with the same time of 10.13.
The competition continues today at the National Stadium with another eight events on schedule and is set to conclude tomorrow.
Today’s schedule:
Men’s 110m Hurdles – 5:42 p.m.
Men’s 200m – 5:56 p.m.
Women’s 1500m – 6:08 p.m.
Women’s 100m Hurdles – 6:25 p.m.
Women’s 100m – 6:38 p.m.
Men’s 1500m – 6:50 p.m.
Men’s 200m – 7:07 p.m.
Women’s 400m – 7:21 p.m.
English (US) ·