Ashmeade runs personal best 10.05 at Ponce Grand Prix
JAMAICA’S Nickel Ashmeade continued his great early season form in the sprints after running a personal best 10.05 seconds to win the 100m at Saturday’s Ponce Grand Prix in Puerto Rico.
The 100m win came a week after he ran a world-leading and personal best 19.95 seconds to win the 200m at the Jamaica National Jamaica International Invitational at the National Stadium.
There are some injury concerns over top women’s quarter-miler Novelene Williams-Mills, who failed to finish the 400m at the Puerto Rico event.
After winning the one-lap event at the JN meet a week earlier, Williams-Mills had complained about “slight injuries”.
Ashmeade, the former St Jago High sprinter who won three individual silver medals at the World Youths and World Juniors, lowered his former personal best in the short sprint by a staggering 0.29 seconds after running 10.34 seconds for second place behind Yohan Blake in the Class One 100m final at Boys Champs in 2008.
Last week he had pared .45 seconds off his previous best in the 200m and is the third fastest Jamaican this year after training partner Steve Mullings (9.90) and Asafa Powell (9.95).
On Saturday, he beat American Justin Gatlin, who ran a season-best 10.06 seconds, while the Jamaican pair of Dexter Lee and Remaldo Rose were both timed at 10.22 seconds for fifth and sixth, the same time as fourth-placed American Trell Kimmons of the US.
Olympic relay gold medallist Aleen Bailey was fifth in women’s 100m in 11.42 seconds and fourth in the 200m in a season-best 23.19 seconds just ahead of compatriot Simone Facey’s 23.29 seconds.
In the men’s 200m event, Marvin Anderson was fourth in 20.98 seconds.
The veteran Danny McFarlane was third in the 400m hurdles in 49.77 seconds, just ahead of Markino Buckley’s 50.73 seconds, while Vonette Dixon was fourth in the 100m hurdles in 13.19 seconds, the same as Tiki James of the US who was third.
In the women’s 400m, Shereefa Lloyd was third, equalling her season-best of 52.67m, while Patricia Hall was sixth in 53.06 seconds and Clora Williams seventh in 53.07 seconds.
At the Belem Grand Prix in Brazil yesterday morning, sprint hurdler Andrea Bliss had her best result of the season when she ran 13.33 seconds for second in the 100m hurdles behind Colombian Brigite Meriano’s winning time of 13.04 seconds.
Korene Hinds ran a season best 2:03.97 for third in the 800m.