Graceful Shelly
OLYMPIC champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opened her season in style by winning the 60m in 7.13 seconds at the Queen’s/Grace Jackson Meet on a day when several hand-timed meet records were established at the National Stadium yesterday.
Fraser-Pryce, 28, who finished ahead of Elaine Thompson in 7.33 seconds, said there was no special reason for opening her season with a 60m event and was just following her coach’s instruction.
“I may run indoors this year, but I don’t think it is alot of races — maybe one or two,” said Fraser-Pryce, who did 7.11 seconds last year. It was the first race of the season and it felt okay. I didn’t train this week, so overall I think I did well. I didn’t know what to expect, so I went out and execute as best as possible,” she added.
Meanwhile, MVP’s Nesta Carter won the male equivalent in 6.53 seconds ahead of Julian Forte in 6.58, and Kimarley Brown third with 6.59 seconds.
In a rare moment when a Usain Bolt’s record is broken, Delano Williams lowered his 400m Open record of 46.94 seconds to an impressive 46.20 seconds.
Williams, formerly of Munro College and Turks and Caicos Islands, and who now represents Great Britain, & Northern Ireland looked extremely easy and seems to be in very good early season form.
Jowayne Hibbert of UWI was second fastest in 47.20 seconds ahead of Jonia McDonald with 47.38 seconds.
MVP’s Commonwealth Games 400m champion Stephanie McPherson stepped up to the 800m and was quickest overall in 2:10.2 minutes, and erased Sonita Sutherland’s 2008 record of 2:11.27 minutes. Christine Day of MVP was also below the previous record stopping the clock at 2:10.9, while Janieve Russell was third fastest with 2:11.5 minutes.
Meanwhile, Jermaine Gonzalez made a welcome return to the track finishing seventh in his 800m heats in 2:01.8 minutes and was 21st overall.
Kegan Campbell of GC Foster was the overall winner with 1:53.2 minutes. Edino Steele of Racers was second in 1:53.6 minutes.
In the high school section, Kingston College’s (KC) Twayne Crooks, formerly of Vere Technical, cruised to an impressive 20.9 in the Class One 200m in Heat 11 to be fastest overall ahead of Calabar’s Michael O’Hara, who jogged 21.1 in Heat Five.
Crooks was also fastest in 400m, winning Heat Eight in 47.5 seconds. It was a clean sweep for KC as Akeem Bloomfield won Heat Five in 47.7 and Marco Doodnaughtsingh won Heat 10 in 48.3 seconds.
Christopher Taylor of Calabar was quickest in the Class Two 400m with 48.6 in winning Heat Two in a meet record, while KC’s Jhevaughn Matherson won his heat in 48.8 seconds.
KC’s Roshawn Rowe was fastest in Class Three in 51.5, which was also a meet record. His teammate Shanthamoi Brown was second overall with 51.7.
O’Brien Waysome of Jamaica College leapt to an impressive 16.12m to win the Under-20 Triple Jump, while KC’s Terrol Wilson captured the Under-18 with 15.58m.