Stars Shine on Opening Day of National Championships

The nation’s leading sprinters delighted the estimated five thousand spectators at the National Stadium on Thursday to close day one of the National Junior and Senior Athletics Championships.

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, 10.98 seconds, and defending champion Shericka Jackson, 10.99 seconds, are safely through to the semifinals. Jodean Williams, Tia Clayton, Sashalee Forbes and Alana Reid also punched semifinal tickets.

On the men’s side Kishane Thompson of MVP clocked the fastest time going into the semifinals, 9.82 seconds. That’s a personal best and the joint second fastest time in the world this year.

Oblique Seville coasted to victory in his heat in 9.98 seconds while Ackeem Blake went through with 9.95 seconds.

National champion Rohan Watson is also through, so too are Julian Forte and Brian Levell. But Yohan Blake finished fifth in his heat and failed to progress.

In some other key results from the opening day Lamar Distin won the women’s high jump with 1.89 meters.

Ackelia Smith fouled on five of her six attempts but still won the women’s long jump with 6.53 meters to book her ticket to Paris.

Noel Ellis won the men’s 5-thousand meters in 16:07.49.

World champion over 400 meters, Antonio Watson, will not be adding Olympic gold to his collection. Watson failed to complete his semifinal after pulling up half way through his race with an injury.

Nationwide 90fm will have live coverage of the evening session including the big 100 meters finals.

Our coverage starts at 6:10pm.