Skeen strikes - Lands historic 100m gold at Youth Olympics

BY PAUL BURROWES Observer writer

Sunday, August 22, 2010

ODANE Skeen dashed to a personal best 10.42 seconds to snap up the 100-metre gold medal at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore yesterday.

The Wolmer's Boys' High School athlete who turns 16 on Saturday ensured his golden run with a flying start in lane five to rush to victory, trouncing Japan's Masaki Nashimoto, who ran a personal best 10.51 seconds for the silver medal.

Great Britain's national junior champion and favourite David Bolarinwa, the second to last to come out of the blocks, made up ground at the end to snatch bronze, also in 10.51 seconds.

The win by young Skeen ensured that Jamaica had held all the global men's 100m titles. These include the World Youth and World Junior (Dexter Lee); the Olympic and senior World Championships (Usain Bolt), and the Commonwealth Games (Asafa Powell).

Meanwhile, Carifta Games Under-17 champion Megan Simmonds of St Andrew High had a strong first half in the 100m hurdles final but faded to finish fourth in a personal best 13.62 seconds.

Russia's national junior champion Ekaterina Bleskina, in a driving finish, won gold in a time of 13.34 seconds, beating Australian junior champion Michelle Jenneke, who grabbed the silver in a personal best 13.46 seconds. Switzerland's Noemi Zbaeren held on for the bronze timing 13.50 seconds.

In the 110m hurdles final, the top four finishers ran personal bests, including Jamaica's Stefan Fennell, who clocked 13.54 seconds. Australian Nicholas Hough won the event, clocking 13.37 seconds, ahead of China's Dongqiang Wang (13.41sec) and Finland's Jussi Kanervo (13.53sec).

In the long jump final, Janieve Russell of Holmwood Technical registered two no-jumps to finish seventh with 5.83 metres.

Germany's Lena Malkus won measuring 6.40m, Romania's Alina Rotaru took the silver with 6.38m, and American Le'Tristan Pledger was third in a personal best 6.17m.

Sasha Gaye Marston and Frederic Dacres placed second in their respective discus B finals.

USA Sarah Tolston won the girls discus B final with a throw of 44.97m, with Marston next with 40.36 metres. Hungarian Janos Kaplar took the boys discus B final, throwing a personal best 57.95m, with Dacres following with a personal best 54.79m.

Meanwhile, in the boys 400m C final, Lennox Williams did no start. Gambian Omar Ceesay won the race in a season-best 50.07 seconds.

Today, Shericka Jackson of Vere Technical will hunt Jamaica's second medal when she runs out of lane four in the 200 metres final.

A Central American and Caribbean Under-17 Junior and Carifta Games champion, Jackson -- who has a personal best 23.62 seconds -- will get main competition from American Olivia Ekpone (23.92sec), who will run in lane five, and Nigerian Nkiruka Nwakwe (23.79sec), who is placed in lane three.

Shanice Hall and Ashinia Miller will also compete today, Hall in the girls high jump B final and Miller in the boys shot put B final.

China lead the medal table with 19 gold, 12 silver and three bronze. Russia are in second with 14 gold, 10 silver, and eight bronze, while South Korea are in third with seven gold, two silver and three bronze.

With one gold, Jamaica moved into 33rd position, joining Croatia, Lithuania, Mongolia, New Zealand, Slovenia and Trinidad & Tobago.

Countries with one bronze medal like Austria, Denmark, Kenya, Norway and Switzerland are in 60th place on the table.

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Skeen strikes - Lands historic 100m gold at Youth Olympics