For the second time in as many days, the French Caribbean came alive to international athletics on Sunday, 2 May. The 2005 Gran Prix Orange - Area permit meeting - took place at the Stade Municipal de Baie Mahault in Guadeloupe, a day after the Meeting du Conseil Général - IAAF Grand Prix II - was held in Martinique’s Stade Dillon. The competition voltage was slightly lower at Pointe-à-Pitre than it had been in Fort de France, but several world stars profited from the occasion nonetheless.

Capel holds off Collins

All three men’s 100 medallists from Martinique were missing; Maurice Greene and Ronald Pognon opted out, with World and Olympic Long Jump champion Dwight Phillips preferring to make his season’s debut at his tile winning discipline.

In their absence, World 200m champion John Capel rebounded from a poor showing in Fort de France, the 26-year-old American running 10.20 to hold off World 100m gold medallist Kim Collins (10.32) of St.Kitts & Nevis. Nigeria’s Aaron Egbele (10.38) was third.

Martinique third placer Ramon Clay (20.86) won the 200m in Guadeloupe. The American posted a time almost identical to that which placed him third the night prior. Egbele (20.90) was second, with another African, Zimbabwe’s Brian Dzingai (20.94) third.

With Conseil Général winner Marion Jones out of the race, Me’Lisa Barber won the women’s 100m dash in 11.43, having placed third the previous evening. Behind the American came Christine Amertil (11.71) of the Bahamas, and Laverne Jones (11.79) of the US Virgin Islands.
 
Amertil went on to win the 200m dash, stopping the clock in 22.91, and picking up her second consecutive half-lap victory. Crystal Cox (23.55) of the USA managed to get among the medals this time, as did Sylviane Felix (23.64) of Martinique. Both had run in Martinique.

400m winners are victorious again

Not many of the winning performances were superior to those recorded in Martinique. One such was Libania Grenot, the 21-year-old Cuban with a 51.96 run to win the women’s 400m. Suziann Reid (53.06) was second, with another American, Mary Danneer (53.27) third.

The men’s 400m ‘A’ final produced exactly the same result as had been recorded the previous night in Fort de France. Trinidad & Tobago’s Ato Modibo (45.73) was marginally better than he had been in Martinique. Australia’s John Steffensen (46.16) closed the gap slightly, but American James Davis (46.83) was somewhat off the pace.

Maurys Castillo demonstrated his form and quality with a run of 1:48.95 to win the men’s 800m. With Castillo’s compatriot, Yeimer Lopez, sitting the race out, there were opportunities for Rachid Khouia (1:49.21) and Eliud Njubi (1:49.39) of Brunei and Kenya, respectively.

Johnson finishes fourth, Carruthers holds
 
Dominique Arnold, one of the fastest men in the world this year in the 110m Hurdles, proved his credentials with a 13.46-second finish to win in Pointe-à-Pitre. The 31-year-old stumped fellow American Terrence Trammell (13.67) and Redelén dos Santos (13.71) of Cuba. World champion Allen Johnson (13.77) will have been disappointed in his fourth-place finish, after posting 13.17 the previous night.

Danielle Carruthers (USA) was another of the repeat winners. She posted a time of 13.05 to win the ‘A’ final in the women’s 100m Hurdles from Jamaica’s Andrea Bliss (13.41). Bliss’ countrywoman, Antoinette Wilks (13.33) won the ‘B’ final from Neira Veris Yamumara (13.43) of Cuba.
 
Moya and Richmond repeat, while Pedroso rests

The men’s High Jump saw Victor Moya soaring to his second victory in as many days, though the winning clearance of 2.15m again left a lot to be desired. Finishing second, American Adam Shunk cleared the same height as Moya, with Cuba’s Yunier Carrillo (2.10m) third. American Terrance Woods and Cuban Lisvany Perez were also out at that height.

Rose Richmond enjoyed her stay in the French Caribbean, completing her second consecutive Long Jump victory with a best effort of 6.49m, to top Alice Falaiye (6.32m) of Canada and Alina Militaru (6.31m) of Romania.
 
Having won the previous day in Fort de France, Cuban legend Ivan Pedroso opted against competing in Fort de France. But Olympic champion Dwight Phillips profited the opportunity, the American opening with a fairly impressive 8.18m leap. He was followed by Frenchman Salim Sdiri (7.94m) and Gable Garenamotse (7.80m) of Botswana, third for the second day in a row.
 
Terry Finisterre for the IAAF