McLeod registers long jump win at Atlanta Games

NATIONAL long jumper Carey McLeod registered a best of 8.33 metres to emerge the only Jamaican winner at last Saturday’s Adidas Atlanta Games, a World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event.

McLeod’s winning mark came on his fourth attempt, making him the second-best Jamaican in the event this season, behind Tajay Gayle’s 8.34m. Mattia Furlani of Italy was second with 8.28m, while Jamaica’s Emmanuel Archibald finished third with a personal-best 8.22m. Another Jamaican, Nikaoli Williams, also recorded a personal best of 8.13m for fourth place.

On a very windy afternoon, Ashanti Moore, Deandre Daley, and Orlando Bennett had the best finishes among Jamaicans on the track, with each securing third places in their respective events.

Moore clocked 16.50 seconds in the rarely contested women’s 150 metres. Nigeria’s Favour Ofili became the first woman to dip under 16 seconds for the event. Racing on a straight temporary track, the 22-year-old Olympic 200m finalist clocked 15.85 (2.0 metres per second) and won clear ahead of USA’s Tamari Davis, who with 16.14 was also inside the 16.23 world best achieved by Shaunae Miller-Uibo in Boston in 2018.

Daley crossed the line in 10.18 seconds in the men’s 100m, where South Africa’s Akani Simbine continued his impressive season by winning in 9.86. Nigeria’s Udodi Onwuzurike was second in 10.05. Jamaica’s Kadrian Goldson was disqualified for a false start, and Oblique Seville failed to reach the final after finishing third in his heat in 10.53. Seville, who led for most of the race, slowed in the final 20 metres, apparently suffering from a slight hamstring injury.

Bennett clocked 13.55 in the men’s 110m hurdles, with the United States’ Trey Cunningham taking the win in 13.16.

Fresh off his anchor leg on Jamaica’s silver medal-winning 4x100m mixed relay team at the recent World Relays in China, Bryan Levell had the next best placing for Jamaica with a fourth-place finish in the men’s 200m, clocking 20.06. Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes won in wind-aided 19.55. Demish Gaye (20.54) and Jevaughn Powell (20.69) finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

Megan Tapper had a fifth-place finish in the women’s 100m hurdles, clocking 12.93. Americans dominated the event, with Kendra Harrison winning in 12.30 ahead of Tia Jones and Grace Stark. Both clocked 12.36. The wind reading was 2.1 mps, just over the legal limit of 2.0 mps. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent did not advance to the final after finishing third in her heat in 12.60.

A thrilling women’s 100m final was also dominated by Americans, who took the first three places. Cambrea Sturgis won in 10.98 — the same time awarded to second-place finisher McKenzie Long. Celera Barnes finished third in 11.01.