Jamaican 'sprintfest'
published:
Saturday | June 21, 2008
Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor
World 100 metres record-holder Usain Bolt and training partner Mario Forsythe at the Stadium East on Thursday. - Photo by LeVaughn Flynn
THE MEN'S and women's sprint races are expected to steal the spotlight at next weekend's National Senior Championships, Jamaica's 'Olympic Trials', at the National Stadium.
Action over the three days is expected to reach fever pitch in the men's and women's 100 metres and 200m. Usain Bolt leads the world in both the men's 100m and 200m while Veronica Campbell-Brown is the world's fastest woman for 2008.
On May 31 in New York, Bolt, better known as a 200m runner, lit up the track to set a world record of 9.72 over 100m. Then last week, the 200m silver medal winner at the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, flashed to a world-leading 19.83 in the half-lap event. He is the only man to go under 20 seconds this year. Former world-record holder Asafa Powell will run in Trinidad and Tobago today and that race should give some hint of his current form. Powell has a 2008 best of 10.04.
On the women's side, most eyes will be on Campbell-Brown. The 200m winner in Athens four years ago leads the world in the 100m with 10.88, set only last weekend in Clermont, Florida. Simone Facey is next on 10.95, set at altitude in Boulder, Colorado, Kerron Stewart is next on 10.96 followed by Sherone Simpson on 10.99.
Campbell-Brown is number two in the 200m with a best of 22.38, just three-hundredths of a second behind Stewart. Simpson, 22.43, is not far behind.
The men's and women's 400m will also be competitive. In the women's one-lap event, the local-based MVP Track Club's pair, Kaliese Spencer and Shericka Williams, will be seeking to dethrone defending champion and World Championships bronze medallist Novlene Williams-Mills.
Among the men, the defending 400m champion, Sanjay Ayre, also faces strong competition from Ricardo Chambers, DeWayne Barrett and Leford Green.
The men's and women's 400m hurdles should also be close. Danny McFarlane, who won silver in Athens, is already the fastest Jamaican this year, and he will look to beat back challenges from rising stars Adrian Findlay, Markino Buckley and Isa Phillips.
In the women's 400m hurdles, Jamaica's number one, Melaine Walker, will also have her hands full against Nickeisha Wilson, who was outstanding at both the Pan American Games and World Championships last year.
Last, but not least, is the women's 100m hurdles where four veterans - Delloreen Ennis-London, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Vonette Dixon and Lacena Golding Clarke, will be fighting for three individual spots. Wilson is also entered for this event.
USAIN BOLT
Event: 200m, 100m
PR: 200m 19.75 (2007) 100m 9.72 (WR 2008)
SB: 100m (9.72) and 200m (19.83)
Born: Aug. 21, 1986, in Trelawny.
Career Highlights: 2002 World Junior 200m champion, 4x100m gold and 2nd 4x400m; 2003 World Youth champion 200m, Central American Junior Championships 200m champion; 2004 Carifta Games 200m gold in a World Junior record 19.93 seconds; 2007 World Championships 2nd 200m; 2008 World 100m record (9.72).World leader in both 100m (9.72 WR) and 200m (19.83), Bolt, in 2004, broke Lorenzo Daniel's world junior 200m record to become the first junior to go under the 20-second barrier with 19.93 seconds.
At the 2007 Jamaican Championships, Bolt clocked 19.75 to break the 36-year-old national record (19.86) held by 1976 Olympic 200m champion Donald Quarrie.
VERONICA CAMPBELL-BROWN
Event: 200m, 100m
PR: 200m 22.05 (2004) 100m 10.85 (2006)
SB: 100m (10.88) and 200m (22.38)
Born: May 15, 1982, in Trelawny.
Career Highlights: 1999 World Youth 100m gold medallist; 2000 World Junior 100m and 200m winner; 2002 Commonwealth Games 100m silver medallist; 2004 Olympic Games 200m champion, 100m bronze medallist, 4x100m gold medallist; World Athletics Final gold medallist; 2005 World Championships 100m silver medallist; World Athletics Final 100m gold; 2006 Commonwealth Games 100m 2nd; 2007 World Champion 100m, 2nd 200m.
World leader in the 100m (10.88), Campbell-Brown won three medals at last year's World Championships. She took gold in the 100m, silver 200m and silver in the 4x100m.
ASAFA POWELL
Event: 100m
PR: 100m 9.74 (2007)
SB: 100m (10.04) only ran once
Born: Nov. 23, 1982, in St. Catherine.
Career Highlights: 2003 first IAAF World Athletics Final; 2004 fifth Olympic Games; World record run of 9.77; 2005 ties world-record run twice; 2006 first Commonwealth Games; 2007 third World Championships. He goes into the 100m event at next week's National Championships after seeing his world record, 9.74, lowered by Usain Bolt.
NOVLENE WILLIAMS-MILLS
Event: 400m
PR: 400m 49.53 (2006)
SB: 400m (50.38)
Born: April 26, 1982, in St. Ann.
Career Highlights: 2004 Olympic Games 4x400m bronze medallist; 2005 World Championships 4x400m silver medallist; 2005 National 400m champion; 2007 World Championships 400m bronze, 4x400m silver, National champion 400m.
Williams-Mills, who got married late last year, made her breakthrough by capturing her first national 400m title in 2006 - 50.24, a then personal best.
At the 2004 Olympics, Williams-Mills won bronze in the 1600m relay. The following year she teamed up with Shericka Williams, Ronetta Smith and Lorraine Fenton for a silver medal.
