COURTESY JAMAICAN GLEANER NEWSPAPER
Usain bolts to record run
published: Monday | July 21, 2003
By Anthony Foster, Staff Reporter
BRIDGETOWN; Barbados:
JAMAICA’S TRACK sensation Usain “Lighting” Bolt produced a spectacular Pan American Junior Championships 200-metre run at the National Stadium here last night to equal USA’s Roy Martin’s 18-year-old world junior record.
On a night where Jamaica picked up five medals (one gold and four silver) medals, Bolt (20.13), who was fast out of his blocks blew away his rivals to smash his own World Youth record of 20.25 seconds set at April’s VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletic Championships at Kingston’s National Stadium.
Bolt finished ahead of The United States’ David who posted 20.63 and Jorge Celia Sena of Brazil with a time of 20.70.
He said that after seeing what happened to Anneisha McLaughlin he was a bit nervous at the start. “Somebody reminded me that I should just get in the straight and relax, and I did just that”, he said.
“I was not under much pressure in the final, but as I said after Anneisha’s race where she tightened up a bit in the straight, I was more nervous than usual.”
In the women’s equivalent, Anneisha McLaughlin squandered a very good start to lose out to USA’s Shalonda Soloman in 22.93, a new Pan Am record. McLaughlin, who came in the straight ahead of the field faltered with 10 metres to go and finished in 23.34. Shana Cox of the United States was third in 23.39 seconds.
HAPPY
After her race, McLaughlin said she was happy with her performance, but not the time. “When I came off the corner I thought I had the gold medal in the bag, but that was not to be.”
At press time, Jamaica had finished second in both sprint relays. The female team of Jody Powell, Simone Facey, McLaughlin and Sherone Simpson finished behind the USA, while the men’s team of Winston Hutton, Tesfa Latty, Adrian Cephas and Bolt did the same, again behind USA. Latty suffered cramps and was taken off on a stretcher to the medical area.
In the 400m hurdles for men, Isa Phillips had to dig deep in his reserves to secure a silver medal, but Camille Robinson, a bronze medal winner at last year’s World Juniors was unlucky, hitting the seventh hurdle and finished fourth in 59.59 behind Amanda Dias of Brazil (58.09), Josanne Lucas of T&T (58.43) and Mackenzie Hill of USA (58.61). Phillips’ time of 50.95 was only bettered by American Kenneth Ferguson (50.07), who also won the 110m hurdle.
On Saturday night little-known Zara Northover and Latty were among the medals. Northover, who is based in the US won Jamaica’s third silver medal late Saturday night with a throw of 14.46 metres to finish behind the USA’s Michelle Carter (16.23m) in the women’s shot put.
Despite a very slow start, 100m junior champion Tesfa Latty was never to be denied a bronze medal, especially with the absence of World Junior champion Darrel Brown in the final on Saturday night. Running in the rain, Latty recovered in time to finish behind Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles (10.33) and USA’s Kenny O’Neal (10.42) in 10.47.
In the 800m, Kayon Thompson (2:05.54) and Carlene Robinson (2:06.52) picked up silver and bronze for Jamaica in a event, which was won by Cuban Yueisi Santitui Cabbal in 2:04.77.
As it was in the high jump with Peaches Roach and Shaunette Davidson, Jamaica’s long jump duo of Kadine Geddes and Pete-Gaye Beckford covered the same distance, 6.12 metres for fifth and sixth. Meanwhile, Kimani Kirton (47.09m) and Fabian Morgan (44.14m) once again failed to secure a medal, finishing ninth and 12th respectively, this time in the men’s discus throw. Gustavo Mendonca of Brazil won with a throw of 58.76.
