Ashmeade stars with bolt from lane eight
Published: Monday | May 9, 2011 2 Comments
Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer
HOMETOWN sprinters Yohan Blake, Shelley-Ann Fraser Pryce and Nickel Ashmeade, along with middle distance runner Kenia Sinclair and American 100m female ace Carmelita Jeter, delighted the near 20,000 crowd with impressive performances, as they produced the major highlights at last Saturday evening’s JN Jamaica International Invitational track and field meet, at the National Stadium.
Ashmeade’s personal best 19.95, that led to an unexpected victory in the men’s 200m field that included former 100m record holder Asafa Powell, was one of three season-leading times recorded at the high-profile meet, which has been updated to International Associa-tion of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Challenge Status.
Jeter, with an unchallenged 10.86 victory in the women’s 100m and Sinclair (1:58.41), who left the 800m women’s field for dead, recorded the other world-leading times.
eye-popping performances
World and Olympic 100m champion Fraser-Pryce (22.10 over 200m) and Blake (9.80 over 100m), also turned in eye-popping performances in times that were not officially recognised because the wind reading was above the allowable 2.0 metres per second.
Running from the dreaded lane eight, Ashmeade, who was the surprise performer of the meet, produced a strong finish to claim the men’s 200m ahead of his training partner, Steve Mullings, 20.15, and third-place American Wallace Spearmon (20.18).
The former St Jago athlete admitted feeling “pretty good” after biting a significant chunk off his previous best, 20.40 seconds.
“I knew the field was pretty good, I knew I would PR, but I didn’t know I would do 19 (seconds) already, so I am just happy,” the 21-year-old Ashmeade expressed.
While the event brought unexpected joy for Ashmeade, many in the crowd were left disappointed by the finish of Asafa Powell, the former world record holder for the 100 metres.
With Olympic and World 100m and 200m champion, Usain Bolt, not participating, the main attraction on the male side was Powell. This was made evident by the huge ovation he received when he graced the recently certified IAAF Class-One track to do his warm-ups for the 200m.
powell disappoints
Powell, who has a personal best of 19.90, looked poised to please his adoring fans as he got off to his usual blistering start and had the patriotic crowd eating out of the palms of his hands, as he led the field coming off the curve.
But as he entered the straight, he slowed considerably and 50 metres out started clutching his right leg. By this time, he was practically walking to the finish and local fans were once again left starved of seeing Powell perform at his optimum, as he crossed the finish line at the back of the pack in 21.40 seconds.
“I felt a light grab in the hamstring and I just backed off coming off the curve,” Powell disclosed after the race.
“But I will be fine. It doesn’t feel like anything too serious, it feels like it was just contracting,” he added.
Powell, who is set to run the 100m at the Dunlop Shanghai Golden Grand Prix meet on May 15 in China, has competed in mainly 200s so far this season.
“I am mainly working on my strength, that’s why I am running so many 200s, so I will continue running them,” Powell said.
“I just want to finish the seasonhealthy and World Championships is the main focus, so I am just trying to get there,” he added.
Other world leaders, Sinclair and Jeter, experienced no injury jitters.
National champion Sinclair maintained her unbeaten streak in winning the 800m in a new meet record. The American pair of Phoebe Wright, 1:59.98, and Molly Beckwith, 2:00.08, claimed second and third, respectively.
American speedster Jeter outclassed her field in a new meet record, 10.86 seconds. Kelly Ann Baptiste of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) was second in 10.94, with Sherone Simpson third in 11.07 seconds.
Kerron Stewart, in her first competitive race since her injury last year, was fourth, also in 11.07.
The male equivalent was won in impressive fashion by Blake, in a blistering 9.80, which would have been a personal best and a world-leading time had it not been for the wind (+2.2mps).
Antiguan Daniel Bailey (9.94) was second ahead of Mike Rodgers (9.96) of the United States.
wind-assisted wins
Fraser-Pryce was also denied a meet record and a world-leading time by the wind (+2.4), as she easily got the better of Olympic 200m queen, Veronica Campbell-Brown, in the half-lap event.
Fraser-Pryce led the field home in 22.10, with Campbell claiming second in 22.37 seconds. Veteran Debbie Ferguson of The Bahamas was third in 22.78 seconds.
World and Olympic champion, Melaine Walker, took on the women’s 400m hurdles for the first time since her injury last season, when she had been sidelined, and claimed the event in a smart 55.60 seconds. She was pushed to the line by American Nicole Leach, who registered 56.08 for second ahead of her compatriot Dannielle Gilchrist (57.67).
The home crowd got much to cheer about again in the women’s 400, with a one-two-three finish from Novlene Williams-Mills (50.71), who won easily ahead of Rosemarie White (51.15) and Kaliese Spencer (51.30).
UNIMPRESSIVE RICHARDS
Sanya Richards-Ross, the Jamaican-born World champion who now competes for the United States, was far from impressive and crossed the finish line fifth in 51.62.
The men’s equivalent was won by The Bahamas’ Chris Brown in 45.37 ahead of Renny Quow of T&T (51.68).
Both caught Jermaine Gonzales, the national record holder, who dominated the event last season before having surgery.
Gonzales’ coach, Bertland Cameron, was beaming with delight as he watched his athlete cross the finish line in 45.52 seconds to claim third.
“I am excited. Let me tell you something, God is good,” an obviously excited Cameron stated after the race. "At his last race in Germany, he ran 44.90 and then went to a doctor and operated on his knee. They said it was a six-week thing (recovery period) and it took us about four months.
“Every time he tried to run, he had to stop, so our workout did not start to come together until the end of February,” Cameron added.
“The only reason why he ran today is because it is Jamaica … so when he came out here and ran 45.5, we are ahead of schedule,” Cameron said. “What we are looking forward to now is trials for World Champion-ships and we are way ahead of that.”
American Justin Gaymon won the men’s 400 hurdles in 48.58 ahead of compatriot, Trinidad and Tobago-born Kerron Clement, the World champion.
American Adam Nelson established a meet record on the way to winning the men’s shot put, with a throw of 21.24 metres.