Gayle, Dacres cop national titles
KINGSTON, Jamaica — World champion Tajay Gayle and Commonwealth Games champion Fedrick Dacres were both forced to come from behind to win their men’s long jump and discus throws titles respectively on Saturday’s third day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Ministry of Sports/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at the National Stadium.
Gayle produced his two best jumps of the night in the fifth and sixth rounds to hold off the University of Tennessee’s Carey McLeod while Dacres overtook his training partner Kai Chang to win his fifth national title.
Gayle won with a mark of 8.23m. McLeod, who is the leading Jamaican long jumper so far this year, had to settle for second place with 8.14m on his final jump while US National Junior College champion Shakwon Coke was third with 7.87m also coming in the final round.
Chang the World Under 20 champion led for the first two rounds before Dacres took over the lead with 62.64 in the third round and increased his lead with 64.31m in the fifth round.
Chang finished with 62.68m with Chad Wright third in 62.52m.
Paul Reid