4 hours ago
1
Several of the top names in Jamaican track and field showed their quality on the opening day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Junior and Senior Championships yesterday at the National Stadium.
Five-time women’s 100-metre world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce looked her usual self as she powered to an easy win in her heat, stopping the clock in 11.33 seconds.
Fraser-Pryce, who recently announced that this would be her last time competing at the National Stadium, is looking to make her ninth appearance at the World Championships.
She will be joined in the semi-finals by several familiar names, including Shericka Jackson, who won her heat in 11.20.
The Clayton twins were also smooth in their qualifying action, taking heats two and four, with Tia taking heat two in 11.21 and Tina topping the field in heat four, 11.27.
The men’s 100m also brought their fair share of fireworks as former schoolboy standout Bryan Levell continued his impressive form this season.
Levell ran a commanding 9.99 seconds to advance to the semi-finals as the fastest qualifier as he looked imperious despite running into a headwind.
It was just outside his personal best of 9.98, which he set last year, and builds anticipation for today’s semi-finals.
Kishane Thompson was also in top form as he ran a composed 10.12 to advance from his heat, an identical time to Oblique Seville, who also won his heat.
It was a disastrous night for young Gary Card, who was making his first appearance since pulling up injured at the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships earlier this year.
Not getting his usual fast start, Card would pull up in his heat, crossing the line in a laboured 14.72.
CRUISE CONTROL
Andrenette Knight was in cruise control in Heat One of the women’s 400m hurdles, stopping the clock in 54.63 as she led defending national champion Rushell Clayton to the line in 55.77.
The usual suspects were also in business mode in Heat Two as Shiann Salmon took the win in 55.90, with Safhia Hinds taking second spot in 57.26.
Janieve Russell, despite taking the final qualifying spot by finishing third in 1:00.66, was far from her best on the day.
Russell will need a massive improvement on her time if she is to finish on the podium in the final set for Saturday.
It was a similar story in the men’s 400m hurdles as key names such as Roshawn Clarke, Assinie Wilson, and Malik-James King were all comfortable in their heats.
Wilson clocked the fastest qualifying time of the three ahead of the final as he raced to 49.27, with Clarke qualifying in 49.99, and King, 50.74.
Former Edwin Allen standout Tierce Hyman was also a notable qualifier as he booked his place in a time of 49.96, just outside his personal best of 49.76.
In the women’s 800m preliminaries, national record holder Natoya Goule-Toppin was comfortable in Heat One as she crossed the line first in two minutes, 02.61, ahead of Kenya’s Judy Kosgei, 2:02.97.
St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Shafiqua Maloney was the fastest on the day, however, as she took Heat Two in 2:00.03, with Kelly-Ann Beckford close on her heels in 2:01.03.
Adelle Tracey claimed the final qualifying spot in Heat Two, crossing the line in fourth place with a time of 2:03.57.
Action will continue at the National Stadium today. The schedule will open with the octathlon boys’ 110m hurdles and be headlined with the semi-finals and final of the junior and senior 100m events.
English (US) ·