US Olympics track and field team member Lolo Jones, left, follows Jamaica's Brigitte Foster-Hylton, the winner of the women's 100 meter event hurdles at the Qatar Super Grand Prix in Doha, Qatar, Friday, May 9, 2008. (Photo: AP)

With an Olympic medal still eluding her, Brigitte Foster-Hylton signalled an earnest return to competition when she clocked a meet record 12.56 seconds to win the 100m hurdles at the Qatar Athletic Super Grand Prix in Doha yesterday.

A World Championship silver and bronze medallist and Commonwealth Games champion, Foster-Hylton got off to a flying start and held her nerves to beat Americans Lolo Jones, 12.65, and Virginia Powell, 12.77. Lacena Golding-Clarke was fourth in 12.83 seconds.

Foster-Hylton broke Powell's meet record of 12.66 seconds set last year. She now has the third-fastest time in this year, after American Damu Cherry, 12.47 and compatriot Delloreen Ennis-London, 12.54.

Foster-Hylton was the only Jamaican winner at the Qatar Grand Prix, though Sherone Simpson, Sheri-Ann Brooks, Danny McFarlane, Isa Phillips, Shericka Williams, Michael Frater, Christopher Williams, and Chelsea Hammond finished in the top three.

US Olympics track and field team member Allyson Felix (centre), wins the women's 100 metre event at the Qatar Super Grand Prix in Doha, Qatar yesterday. Felix is flanked by Sheri-Ann Brooks of Jamaica (right) and Priscilla Lopes from Canada. (Photo: AP)

Simpson, the fastest woman in 2006, indicated that she was putting a disappointing 2007 behind her when she finished second in the 100 metres, clocking 11.09 seconds. American supergirl Allyson Felix won in a world-leading and meet record 10.93 seconds, while Jamaica's Sheri-Ann Brooks was third in 11.14 seconds.

Felix, last year's 200m world champion, wrapped up the race in the last 40 metres to break the meet record of 10.99 seconds set by Jamaica's Beverly McDonald in 1998. Felix beat Jamaican Kerron Stewart's world-leading mark of 10.96 seconds ran at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston last week.

The American Felix returned to win the 400m in a meet record and world-leading 49.83 seconds, beating Jamaican Shericka Williams, 50.50 and American Natasha Hastings, 50.80. Shereefa Lloyd and Kaliese Spencer placed fourth and fifth, respectively, clocking 51.18 and 51.48 seconds.

Olympic Games silver medallist Danny McFarlane was pipped on the line to place second in the 400m hurdles won by South African L J van Zyl in 49.03 seconds. McFarlane ran 49.10 seconds, ahead of compatriot Isa Phillips 49.71 seconds.

In the men's 100m, Norway's Jaysuma Saidy Ndure ran a personal best 10.01 seconds to beat Trinidad and Tobago's Darrel Brown, 10.02 and Jamaica's Frater, 10.08 seconds. Nesta Carter was fourth in 10.10 seconds.

LaShawn Merritt of the USA easily won the 200m in a time of 20.08 seconds, beating countryman Joel Brown, 20.84, and Jamaican Christopher Williams, 20.91. Ainsley Waugh, another Jamaican, was fourth in 21.05 seconds.

Chelsea Hammond of Jamaica leapt a personal best 6.69 metres (1.8 m/s) to finish third in the long jump won by Russian Tatyana Kotova, 6.83m, ahead of Brazilian Maureen Higa Maggi, 6.75.

Dorian Scott was fourth in the shot put won by American Reese Hoffa in a world-leading and meet record 21.48 metres. Scott threw 20.58 metres.

Korene Hinds was fourth in the 3,000m steeplechase won by Australian Donna McFarlane, 9:31.47, who beat Kenyans Ruth Bisibori Nyangau, 9:32.15 and Eunice Jepkorir, 9:36.23. Hinds' time was 9:37.67.

More Jamaicans are scheduled to compete in today's Osaka Grand Prix in Japan, including sprint hurdler Maurice Wignall and one-lap hurdlers Ian Weakley and Dean Griffiths.

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