Yohan Blake beats the wind and chill to take the Rovereto 100m (© Giancarlo Colombo)
Yohan Blake beat Asafa Powell while World and Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser, Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Kaliese Spencer posted impressive wins at Saturday's (16) University of Technology's (UTech) Classic held inside the National Stadium.
Blake, the second fastest Jamaican over 200m at 19.78, made his season debut over the distance with a reasonable 20.33 seconds. His Racers Track Club training partner, Antiguan Daniel Bailey was second in 20.51.
Powell, last year's winner, was third in 20.55 ahead of his MVP training partner Nesta Carter, the world's fourth fastest man over 100m (9.78), who clocked 20.67.
In the women's event, Fraser, who is set to defend her 100m crown in Daegu this summer, ran away with the event in 22.69. Shericka Williams, the 400m silver medal winner from Beijing and Berlin, took second in 23.49.
Sherone Simpson, the Olympic 100m silver medallist, ran away with victory over the same distance in 11.30. American Stephanie Dust was second in 11.42.
Jamaica's national champion Oshane Bailey took the men's 100m in 10.20 seconds.
Carrie Russell (11.55) and Nicholas Watson (10.32), both of the host school UTech took the women's and men's college races respectively.
Spencer was impressive from start to finish in the women's 400m before crossing the line in 50.95, to beat her MVP's teammate Christine Day 52.08. Aime Martinez Diart of Cuba took third in 52.42.
"I am in the shape of my life," said Spencer, who added once she remains healthy, greats things are in store for the season.
Asked how she feel about doing the 400m as successfully as the 400m hurdles, she replied: "I can do both, but I prefer the hurdles so it would be up to my coach how I run them."
Cuban Willi Couozo Gutierrez took the men's 400m in 45.50.
Foster-Hylton, the world 100m Hurdles champion, opened her season with a 13.33 clocking.
"It's good to be back. I had to come out here and do this, and I think my performance was accepted," Foster-Hylton said.
Edwin Allen's high schoolgirl Ristananna Tracey was the talking point of the meet, however, as her 2:03.97 came in for high praises. She is more known for the 400m hurdles, the event in which she represented Jamaica at the last World Junior and Youth Championships.
"I am very happy with the end result, but I did not know I was running that fast."
Sheree Francis cleared 1.85m to beat Edwin Allen's schoolgirl Kimberly Williamson (1.80m) in the women's High Jump.
"I did well today, being my first meet for the season. I was looking towards a higher height but I will appreciate the height I got today," said Francis, the national record holder at 1.93m.
Anthony Foster for the IAAF
Blake, the second fastest Jamaican over 200m at 19.78, made his season debut over the distance with a reasonable 20.33 seconds. His Racers Track Club training partner, Antiguan Daniel Bailey was second in 20.51.
Powell, last year's winner, was third in 20.55 ahead of his MVP training partner Nesta Carter, the world's fourth fastest man over 100m (9.78), who clocked 20.67.
In the women's event, Fraser, who is set to defend her 100m crown in Daegu this summer, ran away with the event in 22.69. Shericka Williams, the 400m silver medal winner from Beijing and Berlin, took second in 23.49.
Sherone Simpson, the Olympic 100m silver medallist, ran away with victory over the same distance in 11.30. American Stephanie Dust was second in 11.42.
Jamaica's national champion Oshane Bailey took the men's 100m in 10.20 seconds.
Carrie Russell (11.55) and Nicholas Watson (10.32), both of the host school UTech took the women's and men's college races respectively.
Spencer was impressive from start to finish in the women's 400m before crossing the line in 50.95, to beat her MVP's teammate Christine Day 52.08. Aime Martinez Diart of Cuba took third in 52.42.
"I am in the shape of my life," said Spencer, who added once she remains healthy, greats things are in store for the season.
Asked how she feel about doing the 400m as successfully as the 400m hurdles, she replied: "I can do both, but I prefer the hurdles so it would be up to my coach how I run them."
Cuban Willi Couozo Gutierrez took the men's 400m in 45.50.
Foster-Hylton, the world 100m Hurdles champion, opened her season with a 13.33 clocking.
"It's good to be back. I had to come out here and do this, and I think my performance was accepted," Foster-Hylton said.
Edwin Allen's high schoolgirl Ristananna Tracey was the talking point of the meet, however, as her 2:03.97 came in for high praises. She is more known for the 400m hurdles, the event in which she represented Jamaica at the last World Junior and Youth Championships.
"I am very happy with the end result, but I did not know I was running that fast."
Sheree Francis cleared 1.85m to beat Edwin Allen's schoolgirl Kimberly Williamson (1.80m) in the women's High Jump.
"I did well today, being my first meet for the season. I was looking towards a higher height but I will appreciate the height I got today," said Francis, the national record holder at 1.93m.
Anthony Foster for the IAAF
