Asafa hobbles at 115th Penn Relays

Friday, November 20, 2009 8:22 PM

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Calabar, St Jago boys mine gold

by PAUL A REID Observer writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, April 26, 2009

PHILADELPHIA, USA - The talking point of the day on the final day of the 115th Penn Relays Carnival yesterday was former 100-metre world record holder Asafa Powell hobbling home on the anchor leg of the men's 4x100m team that was defending the USA vs the World title they won last year.

Despite a story carried in the the Observer yesterday that Powell would not line up due to an ankle problem, he turned up but was unable to sprint, aggravating the ankle problem and was seen icing the ankle later.

PHILADELPHIA, USA - Carmelita Jeter (left) finishes ahead of Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser in the USA vs the World 4x100 relay at the Penn Relays yesterday. (Photo: AP)

But Paul Doyle, Powell's agent, played down the seriousness of the injury, telling the Sunday Observer that the sprinter would be okay and was expected to run at a meet in Doha in two weeks.

Doyle said Powell insisted on running at the meet and said he was alright, but after a few steps into the race decided to stop.

When asked why Powell was included in the team ahead of Marvin Anderson and Xavier Brown, both of whom practised with the team on Friday, Donald Quarrie, who was in charge of the teams here, said they had six athletes and took a decision to go with Powell.

Quarrie said Powell's coaches told him the latter could run and was included on the team based on those reports

He also played down the win by the American team in 37.90, saying that time at this juncture was not important.

"We ran 37.10 last year and we'll run 36 seconds in August", he predicted.

Dwight Thomas led off and passed to Michael Frater with Nesta Carter running the third leg.

Meanwhile, a new national best by the women's Sprint Medley Relay was the only win for the seniors yesterday at the University of Pennsylvania.

Despite a packed house, the seniors failed to duplicate their efforts from the Beijing Olympics as the USA won all the others races including both 4x100m and 4x00m races.

The team of Sherri-Ann Brookes, Rose-Marie Whyte, Moya Thomas and Kenia Sinclair ran 3:34.56 in the order of 200m-200m-400m-800m to beat Russia and USA Blue.

The previous world best time was 3:37.16 set by an American team in 2006.

The women's 4x100m team of Brigette Foster-Hylton, Sherri-Ann Brooks, Kerron Stewart and Shelly-Ann Fraser was second to the USA in 42.77.

The mens' 4x400m team of Michael Blackwood, Asert Whyte, Sanjay Ayre and Dewayne Barrett was fourth in 3.02.32 seconds, while the women's team of Nickesha Wilson, Rose-Marie Whyte, Novelene Williams-Mills and Shericka Williams was second in 3.25:57.

Meanwhile, Calabar and St Jago boys retained their titles in the 4x100m and 4x400m.

Watched by a reported crowd of 47,904, the Jamaicans won two of three finals contested, losing only the 4x800m won last year by Manchester High.

Calabar smashed the two-year-old record with a smart 39.91 seconds to win the Championships of Americas 4x100m as six Jamaican teams finished in that order.

The team of Earl Lee, Ramone McKenzie, Ricardo Powell and Oshaine Bailey erased St Jago's 39.96 set in 2007.

Calabar was winning for the fifth time overall and was the 29th Jamaican team to win the event since 1964.

Wolmer's were second in 40.44, followed by Munro (41.13), Herbert Morrison (41.20), William Knibb (41.22), KC (41.31) while St George's College failed to finish as the lone American school, Altoona of Pennsylvania was seventh.

Manchester won the 'Small Schools' consolation section in 41.13. Camperdown were next with 41.20 and STETHS eighth in 57.69.

St Jago retained the mile relay title with the team of Andre Walsh, Adolphus Nevers, Marvin Green and Nickel Ashmeade making up for the disappointment in the 4x100m clocking 3:12.55.

Munro finished second but were disqualified as Calabar got second with 3:14.25, Vere Tech fourth in 3:16.38 and Wolmers' next in 3:17.43.

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