Asafa Powell clocks 10.18s in Grenada
Former world record holder and Olympic relay gold medallist Asafa Powell and long jumper Demar Forbes were the only Jamaican winners at Saturday’s inaugural Grenada Invitational held at the renamed Kirani James Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.
Powell won the men’s international 100m, while Forbes won the men’s long jump event at the meet that was also an Area Permit event.
Powell clocked 10.18 seconds (0.7 m/s) to win the men’s international 100m race ahead of Andrew Fisher of Bahrain (10.26 seconds) and Barbados’ Levi Cadogan (10.27 seconds).
Michael Frater was sixth in 10.46 seconds.
Forbes, many times Jamaican champion and World Championships and Olympic Games finalist, had a best jump of 7.92 metres (-0.1 m/s) on his final attempt after jumping 7.87m, a mark that would also have given him the gold ahead of American Melvin Echard (7.86m) and Grenadian Decathlete Kurt Felix (7.47m).
Andrew Riley was second in the men’s 110m hurdles in a wind-aided 13.46 seconds (3.0 m/s), beaten by Barbados’ Shane Brathwaite (13.43s), while another Jamaican, Deuce Carter, finished sixth in 18.25 seconds.
Carter, a semi-finalist at the Rio Olympics, was challenging for a podium place until he hit the eighth hurdle hard and finished at the back of the field.
Leah Nugent was second in the women’s 400m hurdles in a season’s best 54.88 seconds, behind American Ashley Spencer’s world leading 54.78 seconds, with Turks and Caicos’ Yanique Haye-Smith third in 57.12.
Danielle Dowie was fifth in 59.03 seconds.
Javon Francis was third in the men’s 400m in 46.45 in the race won by the hometown hero Kirani James in 45.44, with Great Britain’s Martyn Rooney second in 46.35s.
Fitzroy Dunkley was sixth in 47.20s.
Gayon Evans was third in the women’s 100m in a wind-aided 11.17s (2.1 m/s), the same time given to second-placed Morolake Akinosun of the USA, with the Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahourie winning in 11.14 seconds.
Jura Levy was third in the 200m in 22.88 (1.0 m/s), ahead of Veronica Campbell Brown (22.93), with American Felicia Brown winning in 22.60 and Bahamian Tynia Gaither second in 22.71.
World Under-20 bronze medallist Nigel Ellis was fourth in the 200m in 20.67 (-1.0m/s) as the USA’s Lashawn Merritt won in 20.42, beating Canada’s Brendan Rodney (20.45) and Wallace Spearmon of the USA (20.60).
Jason Young was second in the B race in 20.99 behind the USA’s Trentavis on Friday (20.80).
Christine Day was fourth in the women’s 400m in 52.81s, while Dominique Blake was second in the B race in 52.86. Saniel Atkins-Grier took third in the high jump with 1.82m.