Jamaica’s Williams-Mills wins at Aviva International
GLASGOW, Scotland (CMC) — Jamaican Novlene Williams-Mills recorded the only Caribbean triumph at the Aviva International Match indoor track and field meet Saturday afternoon when she won the women’s 400 metres.
Competing for the Commonwealth Select team, Williams-Mills clocked 52.83 seconds to win ahead of American Debbie Dunn and Britain’s Victoria Barr at Kelvin Hall Arena.
Hosts Britain faced athletes from the USA, Sweden, Germany and a Commonwealth Select side at the meet and topped the standings Saturday with 63 points, chased by USA (60) and Germany (51).
Williams-Mills, a 2007 IAAF World Championship bronze medallist, emerged a clear winner — in her first appearance indoors in four years — as she tuned up for the World Indoor Championship in Qatar in mid-March.
She finished more than 3/10ths of a second in front of Dunn (53.15) with Barr third in 53.83.
Grenadian Neisha Bernard-Thomas led a quartet of other Caribbean runners earning podium finishes.
Bernard-Thomas clocked two minutes, 04.74 seconds for the runner-up spot in the women’s 800 metres that Britain’s Jenny Meadows won in 2:02.53.
Antiguan Brendan Christian and the Bahamians Chandra Sturrup and Christine Amertil were the other Caribbean athletes making top three finishes.
Christian (21.40) placed third in the men’s 200 behind Britain’s Leon Baptiste (21.34) and Germany’s Robert Hering (21.36).
Amertil got second in the women’s 200 in 24.18 chasing American LaShauntea Moore (23.65) and the veteran Sturrup clocked 7.38 for third in the women’s 60 behind American Carmelita Jeter (7.19) and Britain’s Bernice Wilson (7.37).
St Lucian Levern Spencer placed fourth in the women’s high jump at 1.87 metres as American Chaunte Howard edged Britain’s heptathlon World Champion Jessica Ennis for the title, both clearing 1.94 metres.