KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s 200m runners and women’s 400m hurdles athletes made light work of Wednesday morning’s opening rounds at the 23rd Commonwealth Games at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow, Scotland.

National champion Sanique Walker and Shiann Salmon, the latter who was second four years ago in Birmingham, topped the qualifying in the women’s 400m hurdles, while Lavanya Williams and Alana Reid were also the fastest in the women’s 200m first round.

Walker won her heat in 54.83 seconds and Salmon won her heat in 55.30 seconds as they both booked their places in Friday’s final.

Williams ran 22.91 seconds (0.8 m/s) to win heat five, and Reid, the national champion, clocked 22.95 seconds (1.7 m/s) to win her heat as they made safe passage through to Thursday’s semi-finals.

All three Jamaican men also advanced in the 200m — Christopher Taylor was second in his heat in 20.36 seconds (1.6 m/s), the same time given to Ghana’s Joseph Paul Amoah, who was declared the winner.

Roshawn Clarke won his heat in 20.56 seconds (1/0 m/s) and Jevaughn Powell ran a wind-aided 20.28 seconds (2.6 m/s) to win his heat.

— Paul A Reid