Report21 Jun 2013


Bolt and Powell breeze through heats at Jamaican Champs

FacebookTwitterEmail

Usain Bolt at the 2013 Jamaican Championships (© Anthony Foster)

Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, the current and former World 100m record-holders, made light work of their 100m heats on the opening day of the Jamaican Championships on Thursday (20).

Bolt, who got one of his best starts, easily won the first heat in 10.00 (0.5m/s). The six-time Olympic gold medallist was in control from the start and beat Jason Livermore and Jacques Harvey, who were both timed at 10.07.

In the final heat, Powell, who came into the race with doubt over his fitness, was comfortable across the line in 10.02 (1.0m/s). In the end, Powell said he had a good first round.

"My first race in almost a year, I felt good,” said Powell. “It was easy.”

Kemar Bailey-Cole, Bolt's training partner at Racers Track Club, took heat two in 10.04 (0.9m/s). Kenroy Anderson (10.16) and Ramone McKenzie (10.21) were second and third respectively.

Sheldon Mitchell took heat three in 10.11 over Oshane Bailey (10.12) and Nesta Carter (10.17).

In the 400m, 2012 Olympian Rusheen McDonald recorded the evening’s fastest time of 45.68 to win heat one. Javere Bell, heat five winner in 45.71, was the second best.

Edino Steele (45.75), Nicholas Maitland (45.83), 18-year-old Javon Francis (45.88) and Dane Hyatt (45.99) were the other quarter-milers below 46 seconds.

Earlier in the morning session, Ristananna Tracey and Roxroy Cato were the best female and male 400m hurdlers with times of 55.72 and 49.56.

In her heat, Tracey beat her older sister Nikita Tracey, who clocked a PB of 56.08, as well as World junior champion Janieve Russell, who also set a PB of 56.57, Andrea Sutherland-Wright (56.99) and Samantha Elliott (57.11).

Nickeisha Wilson, who enjoyed a strong last 50 metres, ran 56.47 in heat two to beat Shevon Stoddart (56.53), who led for the most part. Danielle Dowie finished third in 57.25 to secure her place in the final.

Annsert Whyte, who switched from the 400m flat less than two seasons ago, ran the second-fastest time of his life to qualify for the final in 49.83. Javarn Gallimore broke 50 seconds for the first time in his career with 49.76, and Olympic finalist Leford Green (49.94) was the only other man under 50 seconds going into Friday’s final.

National record-holder Orrin Powell took the day’s only final, the men’s Javelin, with 68.97m – little more than a metre shy of his 70.23m national record, but way off the World Championships qualifying mark.

Anthony Foster for the IAAF

Loading...