Yohan Blake, Shericka Jackson on course for sprint double
Yohan Blake and Shericka Jackson stayed on course for the sprint double after qualifying for today’s finals of their respective 200m events on Saturday’s third day of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association’s National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium.
Blake ran a season’s best 20.20 seconds (1.3m/s) to win his heat with the fastest time of the day and a World Championships qualifying mark.
Olympic finalist Rasheed Dwyer with 20.35 seconds (0.7m/s) and Mario Heslop with 20.52 seconds (0.8m/s) also won their heats to advance.
The women’s 200m promises fireworks with all the favourites through safely, led by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who ran 22.54 seconds (0.9m/s) to win her heat.
Olympic champion Elaine Thompsn-Herah also won her heat with 22.68 seconds (0.8m/s), while 100m champion Jackson also won with 22.84 seconds.
Double National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) champion Wayne Pinnock won the men’s long jump with his first-round mark of 8.14m, his personal best and tied for 17th in the world.
Defending World champion Tajay Gayle was second with 7.92m after opening with two fouls, while Shawn-D Thompson was third with 7.88m.
World Championships silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts retained her triple jump title with 14.27m (-0.5m/s) from the first round.
Ackelia Smith of the University of Texas was second with 13.93m (-0.5m/s) and two-time Commonwealth Games champion Kimberly Williams was third with 13.28m (-0.2m/s).
Traves Smikle, the only Jamaican man with the qualifying standard so far, won his fourth national senior title in the men’s discus throw with 65.73m, beating Roje Stona (64.40m), and Olympic finalist Chad Wright was third with a season’s best 63.30m.
Danniel Thomas-Dodd won her seventh national shot put title after winning with 18.79m, beating Lloydrica Cameron (16.96m) and Daniel Sloley (15.98m).
Olympic champion Hansle Parchment leads the qualifiers for the final of the 110m hurdles, winning his heat in 13.24 seconds (0.8m/s); former World and Olympic champion Omar McLeod ran a composed 13.34 seconds (1.4m/s) to win his heat; while 2018 World Under-20 silver medallist Orlando Bennett won his heat with 13.27 seconds.
Tyler Mason ran 13.44 seconds, his best time in seven years, to advance; Michael O’Hara ran a personal best 13.40 seconds, lowering the 13.52 seconds he set last month to advance; and Rasheed Broadbell also made progress with 13.29 seconds.
Favourite to win her first national senior title Britany Anderson was the fastest in the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles, running 12.45 seconds (0.6m/s) to win the second heat, while defending champion and Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper won her heat in 12.60 seconds (0.7m/s).
Former World Champion Danielle Williams with 12.59 seconds (0.6m/s), Demisha Roswell (12.84 seconds), Shermaine Williams (12.95 seconds, and Crystal Morrison (12.99 seconds) are also through.
The women’s 400m final is setting up to be one of the highlights of the final day, with all the top candidates safely through after Saturday’s semi-finals.
Charokee Young made her intentions clear with a purposeful run to win her heat in 50.19 seconds, followed by Olympic Games finalist Candice McLeod (50.85 seconds), Stacey-Ann Williams (50.87 seconds), and World Indoor bronze medallist Stephenie Ann McPherson (50.67 seconds).
Junelle Bromfield who was part of the World Indoor gold medal winning 4x400m team is also through with 51.18 seconds; along with Roneisha McGregor (52.16 seconds); Tiffany James-Rose (51.84 seconds); and Shiann Salmon, who was second in the 400m hurdles on Friday, taking the last spot with 52.24 seconds.
US-based Jevaughn Powell ran 45.38 seconds to highlight a dramatic men’s 400m semi-finals that saw defending champion Sean Bailey and World Championships finalist Demish Gaye fail to get into today’s final.
Both semi-finals lived up to expectation, with close finishes as Powell came from behind in the first race to win ahead of Karayme Bartley (45.67 seconds), and St Jago High schoolboy Gregory Prince ran a personal best 45.70 seconds for third.
The top five in the second semi-final also advanced, led by 21 year-old Anthony Cox upsetting the strong field with a personal best 45.43 seconds, followed by Nathon Allen (45.52 seconds); Akeem Bloomfield (45.59 seconds); and Olympic finalist Christopher Taylor, who had to come from well behind in the last 60 meters for fifth in 45.67 seconds.
Taylor was however taken off the track in a wheelchair clutching his right leg.