Tracey ticks first box at national athletics championships
NATIONAL women’s 1500m record holder Adelle Tracey ticked the first box after she retained her national title on the second day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Championships at the National Stadium.
Tracey, whose season’s best is the 4:07.32 minutes set at the Drake Relays in May, jogged 4:40.08 on Friday to win her third 1,500m title.
Sydney Pagon High schoolgirl Annastaseca Blackwood was second with 4:46.53 and Jodian Walker was third with 6:12.41.
Tracey will switch her attention to the 800m, which starts Saturday, as she seeks to qualify for both events at the Commonwealth Games.
The British-born Tracey, who ran both events at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, told the Jamaica Observer she is taking things one step at a time as she seeks to regain sharpness.
“I have been in Houston [Texas] this year, ahead of these championships, so for once I feel acclimated, which is nice,” she said. “I haven’t dropped in from the UK (United Kingdom), so I feel ready for the heat.”
Despite her relatively slow time she said she was satisfied with the run.
“It’s nice to come here and retain my national title and be dominant — that’s something that I always try to do. I really wanted to kind of tick that box for Commonwealth Games, and the prep is all for that. So, I’ll be in the 800m [on Saturday], and this is a really good way of getting ready for that,” Tracey said.
She was asked if she had thought about what emotions she would have competing for Jamaica in Britain, after she had switched allegiance from England.
“I had not thought that far yet. I think it’s all about, like, making sure that I’m selected first, so try not to get too ahead of myself,” she said.
Amiel Thomas of G C Foster College of Physical Education and Sport won the men’s 1500m in 4:13.69, beating Lamario Wright (4:15.92) of Racers Track Club and Aldain Brown (4:23.20) of Bethlehem Teachers College.
Delano Kennedy ran 45.42 seconds to lead the qualifiers for the men’s 400m finals, followed by Javeir Brown (45.44), Zandrion Barnes (46.14), and 2023 World Champion Antonio Watson (46.21).
Stacey-Ann Williams leads the women’s 400m qualifiers for Sunday’s final after she won her semi-final heat in 51.45.
— Paul A Reid
