Keni Sinclair leads Natoya Goule in the 800m in Kingston (© Anthony Foster)
– Kenia Sinclair, the second fastest woman this year over 800m, won her specialty to hightlight the third day of action at the Supreme Ventures-sponsored Jamaican Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday (25).
Sinclair, who said the reason for her relatively slow time was because she wanted her fellow competitors to feel as if they were a part of the race, won the event in 2:00.96, her slowest this season. She stayed with them for most of the race before taking college girl Natoya Goule, who clocked a personal best 2:01.45, with her down the homestretch. Goule, who just missed the World Championships B mark, had earlier ran a hard 400m semi-final.
Sinclair, who also won the 1500m at these championships, said the aim was just to win and teach at the same time.
“I came out here to win and I decided I was going to do whatever it takes to win and that exactly what I did,” she said while praising the effort of Goule.
“I told her I would do whatever I can do for her to reach the standard, but I think running the 400m earlier had taken away a little bit from her not getting the standard, but she has a lot more time to get it,” she added, noting that her instruction to Goule before the race was, “I am going to go out so follow me.”
She added: “I did not want to kill the first 400m, because I wanted all my competitors to feel relaxed. I did not want to separate myself from the field, because anytime I come out here to run I try to motivate the young athletes that want to do over distance events, so for me to separate myself from the field, they would feel like they don’t have hope. I did not come out here to show the fans that I am the best 800m runner, I just came out here to run relaxed, comfortable and just enjoy it with my competitors.”
As for Goule, who now turns her attention to the Central American and Caribbean Championships next month, she is now seeking for that 1:59.80 qualifying mark. “I am disappointed with that knowing I am that close, but on the other side, I am very proud of myself because I came away with a personal best.”
“I am just going to have to run other races to achieve that,” she added while saying Sinclair has helped to motivate her.
There were several winners on the night. Aldwyn Sappleton’s 1:49.07 took the men’s 800m title; Tarik Batchelor won the men’s Long Jump with 8.17m; Zara Northover was the winner of the women’s Shot Put with 16.32m; while high school boy Traves Smikle threw 59.83m in the men’s Discus Throw.
Meanwhile, Veronica Campbell-Brown and Kaliese Spencer will chase double victories on Sunday’s final day.
Campbell-Brown, who ran to a 10.84 victory in the 100m, advanced to the final of the 200m with a comfortable 22.79 in semi-final one. Kerron Stewart won semi-final two in 22.78, the fastest of the night, and Sherone Simpson, who found her way out of lane one to 22.88, are the top contenders for Sunday’s final.
In the men’s 200m semi-finals, Steve Mullings and Nickel Ashmeade, the first man to run sub-20 this season, lead the field for the final. Mullings won semi-final one in 20.25 while Ashmeade ran 20.41 for the top honours in semi-final two.
Spencer, who won the 400m Hurdles on Friday night, also qualified for her second final, after running 50.71 in the first semi-final one of the women’s 400m ahead of Shericka Williams (51.07). Rosemarie Whyte (50.85), winner of the second semi, and Novlene Williams-Mills (50.97) are the other top qualifiers.
Lansford Spencer (45.51), Riker Hylton (45.58), 400m Hurdles winner Leford Green (45.61), and Dwayne Barrett (45.63) are the leaders for the men's 400m final. Jermaine Gonazales with 45.67 also advanced.
Sunday’s final day will also see action in the women’s and men’s s100m Hurdles, women’s Triple Jump and men’s Shot Put.
Anthony Foster for the IAAF
