FOSTER... stalks veteran Gail Devers in the women's 100-metre hurdles

MONACO (CMC) - World 100-metre champion Kim Collins has retained the world number one spot in the event in the year-end International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) world rankings.

Collins, whose impressive year was climaxed by his exciting 100-metre win at the World Championship in Paris in August, is the only English-speaking Caribbean athlete to hold a number one ranking in the IAAF ratings released on Tuesday.

Jamaicans Germaine Mason, Brigitte Foster and Lorraine Fenton and Chandra Sturrup, of the Bahamas, secured number two positions in their events.

In the men's 100 metres, the 27-year-old Collins tops the Americans Justin Gatlin and Bernard Williams for the top spot, while Trinidad and Tobago's 19-year-old Darrel Brown is 10th ranked in the event.

collins.the only English-speaking Caribbean athlete to hold a number one ranking

Mason, the Pan Am Games champion, is number two to Sweden's Christian Olsson in the men's high jump, while Foster stalks veteran Gail Devers in the women's 100-metre hurdles and Fenton is led only by Mexican Ana Guevara in the women's 400 metres.

Sturrup, who won Golden League titles in Oslo, Paris and Rome, finished the year number two in the 100 metres to American Kelli White.
There are several other Caribbean athletes holding top-five positions.

Jamaican Michael Blackwood, who was number one last year, is number three in the men's 400 metres, the same position held by his teammates Kemel Thompson (400 hurdles) and Elva Goulbourne (long jump).

Tonique Williams, of the Bahamas, is number five in the women's 400 metres, while Barbadian Andrea Blackett is also fifth in the women's 400 hurdles, and improving St Lucia-born Canadian Perdita Felicien enjoys fifth spot in the 100-metre hurdles courtesy of her outstanding year that included gold at the World Championship in Paris.

Collins is the highest rated CARICOM (Caribbean Community) athlete in the overall men's rankings at 36th, and Fenton is the region's best at 17th on the women's overall list.

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