Brits Hughes and Asher-Smith take 200m races at JAI
KINGSTON, Jamaica – British athletes Zharnel Hughes and Dina Asher-Smith won the men’s and women’s 200m races at Saturday’s inaugural staging of the Jamaica Athletics Invitational at the National Stadium.
Hughes, who is based in Kingston at the Racers Track Club, came from behind to win the men’s race in a season’s best 19.96 seconds, catching the fast starting American Christian Coleman off the curve to run away with the win.
Former World Championships 100m champion Fred Kerley was second in 20.17 seconds with France’s Pablo Mateo third in 20.20 seconds.
Asher-Smith clocked 22.51 seconds in the women’s race to beat a late charging Jessika Gbai of the Ivory Coast, who was second in 22.53 seconds, and Jamaica’s Lanae Tava Thomas, third in 22.84 seconds.
-Paul A Reid
