Broadbell rules!
COMMONWEALTH Games gold medallist Rasheed Broadbell produced a personal best and world-leading 12.94 seconds (0.7m/s) to win the 110m hurdles in a stirring battle with Olympic champion Hansle Parchment during the Jamaica Athletics Administrative, Association (JAAA) National Championships at the National Stadium on Sunday.
Parchment was second with 13.12 and Orlando Bennett third in 13.19 — both season’s best runs.
Broadbell’s scintillating run bettered American Cordell Tinch’s previous world lead of 12.96. It also broke the Jamaican’s previous best of 12.99 set last year. A day earlier, Broadbell had run his season’s best 13.06.
Shericka Jackson served notice she is ready for the World Athletics Championships in just over a month after she completed a fine sprint double, winning the women’s 200m in a world-leading 21.71 seconds (-0.5m/s).
It was Jackson’s second world lead of the weekend after her personal best 10.65 to win the 100m on Friday.
Jackson took charge of the race off the curve and powered her way home, beating her previous season’s best of 21.98 seconds and Julien Alfred’s previous world lead of 21.91.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a season’s best 22.26, beating the 22.39 she ran in Saturday’s semi-finals, while Lanae-tava Thomas was third in 22.55.
Andrew Hudson retained his men’s 200m title, running a season’s best 20.11 (-0.2m/s) and beating Rasheed Dwyer (20.26). Tyquendo Tracey was third with a season’s best 20.48.
Yohan Blake, the second-fastest man of all time over the distance, was fourth in 20.51. He will miss the World Championships.
Olympic Games women’s 100m hurdles bronze medallist Megan Tapper produced a solid display of hurdling as she got off to a flying start and held off NCAA champion Ackera Nugent.
Tapper, who had run a lifetime best 12.44 in Saturday’s semi-finals, won with 12.64 (-1.9m/s). Nugent clocked 12.67, while former World Champion Danielle Williams snatched the third spot with 12.82.
Sean Bailey won the highly anticipated battle with Antonio Watson to take his second national men’s 400m title, running 44.48 — just off his personal best 44.43 set earlier this season.
Watson lowered his personal best for the second time in just over a month, clocking 44.54 to take second place. Jevaughn Powell was third with 45.19.
Powell is yet to achieve the World Championships qualifying mark of 45.00 seconds, which could lead to Zandrion Barnes, who finished sixth, getting the nod along with Bailey and Watson for spots on the team to Hungary.
Bailey said while he was satisfied with the victory, there are things to fix.
“I haven’t felt like myself throughout the rounds,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
“I just talked to my coach about it and fixed it in the finals. I felt great the first 100 metres so I’m like, ‘Okay, let me just relax.’ I know Antonio Watson’s a great finisher so I just wanted to have something to come home with because I know he’d be finishing strong,” Bailey said.
Nickesha Pryce won her first women’s title as she held off the hard-charging Janieve Russell, the 400m hurdles champion, to win in a new personal best 50.21.
Russell also lowered her lifetime best to 50.76 while last year’s champion, Candice McLeod, was third in 51.01.
Rajay Hamilton won his first national title, securing the men’s 800m in 1:47.28 minutes while beating last year’s champion and national record holder Navasky Anderson (1:47.67). Tyrese Reid was third in 1:48.45.
Natoya Goule-Toppin won her ninth national championships, clocking 1:58.89 and finishing comfortably ahead of Adelle Tracey who was second in a season’s best 2:01.11. Jessica McLean was third in 2:05.76.
Elvis Graham won the men’s javelin throw with 74.19m, finishing ahead of Zaavan Richards (70.91m) and Devon Spencer (65.78m).