Blackwood

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (CMC):

Former Commonwealth Games champions Chandra Sturrup, Elva Goulbourne and Michael Blackwood, logged Caribbean wins at the fourth Felix Sanchez Invitational track and field meeting in the Dominican Republic on Saturday night.

Bahamian Sturrup landed the women's 100 metres in 11.54 seconds, while Jamaicans Goulbourne and Blackwood picked up wins in the women's long jump and men's 400 metres, respectively.

Goulbourne and Blackwood, both Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Jamaica in 2002, completed clear wins.

Blackwood, the 2002 World Cup winner, repeated his 2006 win in the 400 with 45.37, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago's World Junior champion Renny Quow (45.62), America's 2004 Olympic silver medallist Otis Harris (45.78), and Ricky Harris (45.85).

Goulbourne took the long jump (6.51) ahead of Canadian Tabia Charles (6.28) and Graham (6.11).

Germaine Mason, the former Jamaica representative now competing for Britain, cleared 2.23 metres for second in the men's high jump to Jesse Lipscombe (2.26m).

The meet also produced world-leading performances from Americans Demetria Washington and Tiffany Ross-Williams.

Washington ran the women's 400 metres in a career-best 49.35 seconds to defeat Russian Anastasiya Kapachinskaya (49.78) as both dipped under 50 seconds for the first time in their careers.

Ross-Williams looked very impressive as she cruised to victory with a world leading 54.34 in the women's 400 hurdles.

Chasing Ross-Williams from a distance were American Dominique Darden (56.26) and Jamaican Shevon Stoddart (58.12) for the runner-up positions.

Bahamian Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Sturrup, who won Commonwealth Games 100-metre gold in 1998, took the women's 100 metres ahead of Jamaican Nolle Graham (11.66) and Barbadian Jade Bailey (11.79).

American Mark Jelks (10.12) won the men's 100 metres.

Blackwood, Jelks, Sturrup, and Goulbourne are expected to continue their Caribbean tour with the next stop in Ponce this Saturday.