BY SHERDON COWAN

Observer staff reporter

WHILE most of the excitement was concentrated on the track, Nicholas Gordon sparked fireworks of his own at the 39th Gibson/McCook Relays, leaping a distance of 7.95 metres to win the men’s long jump open on Saturday.

Gordon, who jumped unattached, retained his title after topping the event last year with a leap of 7.72 metres while representing Eagles Track Club. What was significant about Gordon’s performance was that it surpassed Jermaine Jackson’s six-year-old record of 7.86 metres set in 2009.

However, Gordon was assisted by a positive wind speed of 4.6 metres per second, which made the jump illegal thereby allowing Jackson’s record to remain intact. Kamal Fuller of Eagles Track Club was second with a leap of 7.55 metres, while Jamaica College’s Obrian Waysome was third with 7.53 metres.

Another Jamaica College standout, Clayton Brown continued his rich vein of form when he outjumped opponents to top the men’s high jump open with a height of 2.10 metres. Romario Douglas of St Jago and Akeem Robertson of UWI Mona claimed the runners-up spots at a height of 2.05 metres.

Immaculate Conception’s Safia Morgan has placed herself in contention for the top spot in the high jump at Boys’ and Girls’ Championship after she expertly got the better of the highly-talked-about Hanifah Abdulqadir of St Jago High. Both athletes cleared the bar at 1.75 metres, while Meisha Gay Dacosta of UWI Mona was third at 1.70 metres.

The impressive Lamara Distin of Rusea’s High finished a disappointing fourth at the 1.70-metre mark.

Shaquille Shaw of Kingston College cleared 4.00 metres on his third and final attempt to top the men’s pole vault open ahead of Hugh Lewis (3.80m) and Arnold Franz (3.70m), also of Kingston College.

Meanwhile, Tyquendo Tracey returned to win the men’s 100-metre dash open in 10.34 seconds, after running a superb anchor leg earlier to hold off the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt, leading UTech to victory over Racers Lions in the men’s clubs and institutions 4X100-metre relay.

Tracey won ahead of Kwisi McFarlane (10.40s), also of UTech, and Oshane Bailey (10.43s) of AKAN Track Club. Christine Williams of UTech easily took the women’s event in 11.30 seconds with Jenelle Kelly (11.54s), also of UTech, and Shaneil English (11.63s) of St Jago finishing second and third, respectively.

Young Tiffany James of Papine High did just enough to get by MVP’s Janique Day after the two were locked in a heated battle for the final 50 metres of the women’s 400-metre open. James won in a time of 53.86 seconds, while Day clocked 53.92 seconds with Sashel Frater (58.91s) of St Jago high back in third.

The men’s one-mile open run was won by Darryl Oliver of UTech in 4:22.21 minutes, followed by teammate Chadoye Dawson (4:23.83) and Holmwood Technical’s Kajay Walker (4:26.85).