Sherone Simpson

Olympic relay gold medallist Sherone Simpson maintained her world-beating form this season to post a personal best 22.46 seconds on Saturday at the Felix Sanchez Invitational in the Dominican Republic.

Sprint hurdler Brigitte Foster also ran a year-best at the same meet, clocking 12.56 seconds to win the 100m hurdles.

Simpson bettered her previous best of 22.70 seconds in the 200 metres set last year at the Whitsuntide Games in St George's, Grenada.

The 20 year-old University of Technology student, who pushed Veronica Campbell (22.53 seconds) into second place in the 200 metres, also holds the world-leading mark in the 100 metres of 11.03 seconds, set on May 7 at the Jamaica International Invitational at the National Stadium.

Simpson and Foster apart, Jamaicans with world-leading marks this year are Asafa Powell, Kenia Sinclair and Trecia Smith.

The Central America and Caribbean record holder for the 100m hurdles (12.45 seconds), Foster failed to finish at the Jamaica International Invitational.

Simpson, Foster and Powell, who lowered his Jamaica 100-metre record of 9.87 seconds set in Brussels, Belgium last year to 9.84 seconds earlier this month, are all coached by local-based Stephen Francis.

Francis's MVP Track Club has been attracting a growing list of Jamaican athletes, both at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, at the Grande Premio Rio de Atletism Grand Prix II meet in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil yesterday, Michael Frater, Chris Williams, Beverly McDonald, Michelle Ballentine, Korine Hinds, Mardrea Hyman, Lacena Golding-Clarke, Trecia Smith and Suzette Lee finished in the top three.

Hinds, Golding-Clarke and Smith registered victories in their respective events.

Hinds broke the national 3000m steeplechase record yesterday when she set a personal best 9:44.27. She erased her old mark of 9:50.64 set last year in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Second in the event was another Jamaican, Mardrea Hyman, who ran a personal best 9:49.53.

Both Hinds and Hyman have therefore met the A standard of 9:50.00 for the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland in August.

Golding-Clarke won the 100m hurdles in 12.93 seconds, beating Poland's Aurelia Trywianska, 13.05, and Jamaican Andrea Bliss, 13.22 seconds.

Smith and Suzette Lee were one-two in the triple jump, Smith winning in 14.62 metres and Lee leaping 13.87 metres.
Frater ran 10.14 seconds to finish second in the 100 metres won by American J J Johnson, who ran 10.09 seconds.
Brazilian Vicente de Lima was third in 10.17 seconds.
Johnson also won the 200 metres in 20.45 seconds, ahead of de Lima, 20.59, and Jamaican Christopher Williams, 20.70 seconds.

In the 400m, Davian Clarke was fourth in 46.07 seconds, as Canadian Tyler Christopher won in a personal best 44.88 seconds.

McDonald placed third in the 200 metres, won by Cayman's Cydonie Mothersill in 23.06 seconds. Brazilian Lucimar de Moura and McDonald timed 23.16 and 23.26 seconds respectively.

Ballentine was third in the 800 metres in 2:01.47, trailing Guyana's Marian Burnett, 2:01.02 and home girl Juliana Paula de Azevedo, 2:01.25.

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