Jamaica finish second in mixed 4x100m at Ultimate Championships
Jamaica finished second in the mixed 4x100m relay final on Friday’s opening day of the inaugural Ultimate Championships at the National Athletics Center in Budapest, Hungary,
The team of Ackeem Blake, Tina Clayton, Kadrian Goldson and Jonielle Smith clocked 39.72 seconds to finish a step behind the USA team that set a national record 39.64 seconds to win the event. Great Britain was third in 40.26 seconds.
In the only individual track final contested by a Jamaican, Megan Simmonds was fifth in the 100m hurdles with a season’s best 12.42 seconds (0.1m/s). American world record holder Masai Russell completed an unbeaten season, winning with 12.22 seconds, just overtaking the field at the end with Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan placing second with 12.34 seconds and Nadine Visser of the Bahamas third with 12.39 seconds.
Lamara Distin only cleared one height in the women’s high jump, finishing joint sixth with 1.86m as Yaroslava Mahuchikh won with 1.99m, ahead of two Australians – Nicola Olyslagers-1.96m and Eleanor Patterson-1.91m.
Meanwhile, Nickisha Pryce qualified for Saturday’s final of the women’s 400m after she was third in her semi-final, running 49.72 seconds, after leading through the first 200m.
World leader and Diamond League winner Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic won with 49.58 seconds ahead of Salwa Eid Nasa of Bahrain who clocked 49.67 seconds.
Cuba’s Roxana Gomez was fourth in 50.34 seconds to get the other qualifying spot.
Stacey-Ann Williams was sixth in her semi-final, clocking 50.43 seconds from lane nine.
Also on Friday, Ackera Nugent failed to complete her 100m hurdle semi-finals after she fell at the ninth hurdle, while two-time world champion winner Danielle Williams just missed qualifying after she placed fifth in 12.72 seconds (-0.2m/s). National champion Demisha Roswell was eighth in 13.04 seconds.
Orlando Bennett was also fifth in his 110m hurdles semi-final, running 13.29 seconds (0.7m/s), while Demario Prince was seventh in 13.58 seconds after hitting a hurdle near the end of the race. Tyler Mason was seventh in his semi-final in 13.46 seconds (0.6m/s).
-Paul A Reid
