GLASGOW, Scotland (CMC) – Jamaican Kemar Bailey-Cole said he felt under no pressure as he stormed to victory in the men’s 100 metres at the Commonwealth Games here Monday.

The 22-year-old recovered from a poor start to produce a late charge and win gold in ten seconds flat, ahead of Great Britain’s Adam Gemili who was second in 10.10, with Jamaican Nickel Ashmeade securing bronze in a time of 10.12 seconds.

“I didn’t feel any pressure, I just went out there and executed my own race, but it wasn’t that perfect,” Bailey-Cole said afterward.

“I just came out here relaxed because if you run with tension you won’t get your results.”

Bailey-Cole was away slowly to trail through the first 30 metres as Gemili showed early promise to lead, and Barbadian Ramon Gittens and Bahamian Warren Fraser also threatened from the inside lanes.

However, Bailey-Cole accelerated through the mid-way point, hauling in the leaders to reach the finish as a clear winner.

He conceded his start had not been the best but said he managed to hold it together.

“Even if I didn’t get the right start, I held my composure and drove right through,” he noted.

Antoine Adams of St Kitts and Nevis finished fourth in 10.16 seconds while Jason Liverpool of Jamaica was sixth in 10.18. Fraser (10.20) and Gittens (10.25) faded badly to finish seventh and eighth respectively.

In the women’s final, Jamaican Veronica Campbell snatched silver and compatriot Kerron Stewart, bronze, as Nigerian Blessing Okagbare dominated to win in 10.85 seconds.

Campbell-Brown clocked 11.03 while Stewart was timed at 11.07 seconds.

Meanwhile Grenada’s Olympic champion Kirani James successfully launched his bid for glory in the men’s 400 metres, when he won his first round heat also on Monday.

Running in heat three, James came home in 45.52 seconds with Jamaican Rusheen McDonald also progressing after finishing third in 46.14 seconds.

Trinidadian Renny Quow also advanced by winning heat two in 45.86 seconds while fellow Trinidadian Jarrin Solomon captured heat one in 45.69, leading a trio of Caribbean qualifiers as Guyanese Winston George (46.25) and Ahkeem Gauntlett of Jamaica (46.31) finished second and third respectively.

Latoy Williams of Bahamas qualified by winning heat four while compatriot, the experienced Chris Brown, advanced by winning heat five in 46.30. Stephan James of Guyana finished second in 46.39 to also go through.

In the women’s semi-finals of the same event, Jamaican Novlene Williams Mills led several Caribbean athletes booking their spots in the final, scheduled to be run off at 8:30 pm (3:30 pm Eastern Caribbean time).

She was timed at 50.73 in winning the third semi-final while fellow Jamaican Stephanie McPherson clocked 50.69 to capture heat one.

Another Jamaican, Christina Day, nailed semi-final two in 51.02 seconds, with Bahamian Shaune Miller finishing second in 51.58, to also qualify.