Thompson-Herah opens season with 200m win at Jubilee Meet
Dedicated track and field fans who ventured to the National Stadium on Saturday to witness the second of the four JAAA/SDF Jubilee Meets were treated to some exciting performances.
Double-double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was comfortable in winning the women’s 200m in 22.75s to open her season in the half-lap event.
Traves Smikle celebrated his birthday by winning the men’s discus with a distance of 66.60m, the farthest throw by a Jamaican this season.
Smikle’s effort saw him achieve the World Championships qualifying standard in the event. Chad Wright was second with 58.63m, while schoolboy Kobe Lawrence was third with 53.42.
Samantha Hall took the women’s discus with 53.85m, Shamella Donaldson was second with 46.36m and Ashanti Wright third with 39.72m.
Lushane Wilson continued his consistency in the men’s high jump winning on countback with 2.10m ahead of Raymond Richards who also had a best of 2.10m.
Tissanna Hickling is untouchable in the women’s long jump locally. She won again with 6.49m, Jodian Stewart was second with 5.91m, while Melissa Walker was third with 5.55m.
Emanuel Archibald won the men’s long jump with 7.79m, Shawn-D Thompson was second with 7.61m while Jullane Walker was third with 7.58m.
On the track, Oblique Seville got the fans on their feet when he clocked 10 seconds flat to win the men’s 100m in a personal best in the penultimate race of the evening. Seville has been lowering his time all season and after a pretty good semi-final earlier in the evening, showed his emerging class to win the final ahead of Kishane Thompson who was second in 10.21s and Kadrian Goldon who was third in 10.24s.
Seville’s time was the fastest run by a local-based athlete so far in 2022.
The men’s B final was won by Oshane Bailey in 10.21s. Schoolboy Jeevan Newby was second in 10.25s, while Emanuel Archibald was third in 10.37s.
The final event of the night, the women’s 100m, was won by Shericka Jackson who eased to 11.00s. She was followed home by Anthonique Strachan in 11.40s and Remona Burchell 11.43s.
Earlier, Thompson-Herah ran a hard turn in the women’s 200m before shutting it down to cruise home. Stephenie-Ann McPherson was second in 23.16 and Natasha Morrison was third in 23.52s.
Zharnel Hughes, who is working his way back to full fitness, won the men’s 200m in 20.56s, Antonio Watson was second in 20.86s and Jazeel Murphy took third in 21.28s.
Sada Williams won the women’s 400m in 51.05s, Janieve Russell was second in 51.26, while Junelle Broomfield was third in 51.72s.
Anthony Cox has also been steadily improving this season as well and lowered his personal best for the second time in 2022, when he clocked 45.75s to win the men’s 400m. Demish Gay was second with 46.04s, while Javier Brown was third in 46.44s.
The third meet in the series will take place on Saturday May 14, starting at 5:00 pm.