Female sprint team cops 4X100m in World-leading 42.81
PHILADELPHIA, USA — The Jamaican female sprint relay team sent a strong message that they will be hard to beat at next month’s inaugural IAAF World Relay Championships in The Bahamas after retaining the event in a World-leading 42.81 seconds on yesterday’s final day of the 120th Penn Relays Carnival at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
In a repeat of last year, this was the solitary win for the Jamaicans as they managed two second-place finishes, a third and a fourth place in their other events, despite a large and loud Jamaican contingent in the stands.
With two members of the team that won gold at last year’s IAAF World Championships on the first two legs, Carrie Russell and Kerron Stewart, the Jamaican team outclassed the small field with the United States taking second, well back in 43.15 seconds with Trinidad and Tobago third in 43.35 seconds and Brazil fourth in 43.77 seconds.
Anneisha McLaughlin ran the third leg, while Trisha-Ann Hawthorne ran the anchor leg holding off the USA’s LaKeisha Lawson to send the pack grandstand here into wild celebrations.
The men’s team that included veteran Michael Frater on his customary second leg failed to replicate the success of the females as they were beaten on the line by 100th of a second by the USA team 38.57 seconds to 38.58 seconds, the two fastest times of the year so far.
Jamaica’s anchor leg runner Oshane Bailey just failed to get the USA’s Walter Dix on the line.
Jason Livermore led off the Jamaican team, handing off to Frater, while Rasheed Dwyer ran the third leg.
Disappointing anchor legs in the women’s Sprint Medley and 4x400m Relays cost Jamaica wins as they led after the first three legs.
Natoya Goule was passed on the 800m leg of the SMR by the USA’s Ajee Wilson as the Americans won in 3:37.94 minutes to Jamaica’s 3:38.41 with the Caribbean All-Stars taking third.
Anastacia Leroy made up for a botched exchange from lead-off runner Natasha Morrison on the first change-over in the event that was ran in 200mx200mx400mx800m with a strong leg to hand over to Patricia Hall.
Hall ran a 51.7-second split and gave Goule the lead, but the former Manchester High runner, now at Clemson, could only manage a 2:01.36-minute leg as Wilson’s 1:59.60 proved too strong.
Shericka Williams faded from a good lead to finish third in the 4x400m relaysl passed by both the USA, who ran a World-leading 3:25.62l and Nigeria (3:27.16) as Jamaica finished in a disappointing 3:27.32.
Christine Day had led off the team in 51.6 seconds as Patricia Hall ran 52.1 seconds and Leroy ran a strong 51.5 seconds split.
The Jamaican men finished fourth in the 4x400m in 3:04.99 behind the Bahamas who ran 3:00.78 seconds to take full advantage of some sloppy baton exchanges by the USA who ran 3:03.31 seconds and Brazil were third in 3:03.32.
Allodin Fothergill, Ricardo Chambers, Chumaine Fitten and Jermaine Brown ran for the Jamaican team.
