Bolt, Bailey captures 200m
Blackwood, Fenton retain one-lap crowns
BY PAUL BURROWES Observer staff reporter
Sunday, June 22, 2003
Usain Bolt (second right) glances at his nearest rival, LaTonel Williams (left), before crossing the finish line at the senior men’s 200 metres final at the National Stadium last night. Bolt won in 20.28 seconds, ahead of Williams (20.40), who was second. At right is Dwight Thomas. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
SIXTEEN year-old Usain Bolt demolished Jamaica’s best 200 metre athletes while Aleen Bailey took the women’s equivalent to complete the sprint double as the National Championships ended at the National Stadium last night.
Michael Blackwood and Lorraine Fenton retained their 400 metre crowns, while Brigitte Foster and Maurice Wignall remained champions of the sprint hurdles.
Robert Barnes, formerly of the University of Technology and now at New York Technical, broke the javelin record in a new mark of 68.97 metres. He erased Maurice Smith’s old mark of 62.07 metres set in Spanish Town last year.
Drawn in lane four, Bolt came off the bend leaning to his left and after three steps on the straight opened up the gap between himself and rest of the field. Now in cruise control, he just charged to the finish line with LaTonel Williams making a vain attempt to pull him in.
Brigitte Foster (right) turns up the heat as she takes her second national 100m hurdles title at the National Championships last night. Others from left are Vonette Dixon, Suzanne Dixon (in background) and Delloreen Ennis-London. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
Bolt won in 20.28 seconds, ahead of LaTonel Williams (20.40) with Ricardo Williams third in 20.48 seconds.
In the women’s half-lap, Bailey dug deep into her reserves in the last 70 metres to rein in a full-throttled Juliet Campbell. Bailey won in a season-best 22.59 seconds, with Campbell second in 22.69 and Beverly McDonald third in 23.05 seconds.
Blackwood won the 400 metres in 44.74 seconds, ahead of Brandon Simpson (44.84) and Davian Clarke (45.18)
Fenton took the women’s equivalent in 50.71 seconds, with Allison Beckford second with a 51.61 seconds and Michelle Burgher third in 52.05 seconds.
Wignall secured his third consecutive national 110m hurdles title when he won in 13.54 seconds, beating record-holder Christopher Pinnock, 13.59 seconds, and Ricardo Melbourne, 13.96 seconds.
Foster won the 100m hurdles in 12.69 seconds, pulling away from Lacena Golding-Clarke, second in 12.90 seconds, and Vonette Dixon (12.93 seconds).
Jermaine Myers won the men’s 800 metres in 1:49.42, holding off the late charges of Marvin Watts (1:49.48), who won the last three national titles, and Aldwyn Sappleton (1:49.98).
Michelle Ballentine triumphed in the women’s 800 metres in 2:03.52, beating Mardrea Hyman (2:03.66) and Kenia Sinclair (2:03.96).
It was Myers first title and Ballentine’s second, having won in 1993.
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