KINGSTON, JAMAICA, June 20-23—Usain Bolt may be retired, but Jamaican sprinting remains alive and well. Particularly on the women’s side. At the Jamaican Champs, Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce—between them the winners of the last three Olympic golds—went to the wire in the 100, each clocking a world-leading 10.73, just 0.03 off their 10.70 PRs. Thompson took the win thanks to an 0.003 margin on the photo.
Said Thompson, 27, “I was not really surprised tonight even though my start is not yet back on track, but I am working on it. Clocking 10.73 here tonight shows my top-end speed is coming back faster than I expected, but there is more room for improvement.” As for the 32-year-old SAFP, not only did she break Irina Privalova’s record for the fastest mom ever, her time was also the fastest ever by an athlete of her age. “To be honest,” she said, “I’m defying the odds.”
In 3rd came Florida high school junior Briana Williams (Northeast, Oakland Park), still just 17. Her 10.94 broke the World Youth Record/High School Record of 10.98 set by Georgian Candace Hill in ’15. “I knew this was going to be the hardest race of my life,” said Williams. “I am just happy I made the team to Doha and broke 11 seconds as that was my goal all year.” She had run 11.01 in the heats, at the time the No. 2 prep performance ever.
Two days later, Williams—explaining that she had run the 100 with a fever—skipped the 200. Meanwhile, Thompson completed the double, with another yearly world leader, 22.00, as SAFP hit 22.22.
The women’s hurdles was a crowd-control disaster, with noisemakers, false starts and rampant confusion leaving officials with no choice but to cancel the final (see Last Lap).
JAMAICAN CHAMPS MEN’S RESULTS
Kingston, June 20-23—
(6/20—TJ; 6/21—100, 400H; 6/22—LJ, DT)
100(0.4): 1. Yohan Blake 9.96; 2. Tyquendo Tracey 10.00; 3. Rasheed Dwyer 10.10 =PR; 4. Senoj Givans 10.13; 5. Julian Forte 10.20; 6. O’Shane Bailey 10.25; 7. Waseem Williams 10.36.
200(0.5): 1. Dwyer 20.23; 2. Blake 20.27; 3. Andre Ewers 20.48; 4. Forte 20.63; 5. Akeem Bloomfield 20.81.
400: 1. Demish Gaye 44.83; 2. Terry Thomas 45.47 PR; 3. Javon Francis 45.60; 4. Rusheen McDonald 45.83.
110H(1.5): 1. Ronald Levy 13.23; 2. Orlando Bennett 13.27 PR; 3. Andrew Riley 13.33; 4. Hansle Parchment 13.38; 5. Phillip Lemonious 13.51 PR; 6. Rohan Cole 13.56 PR; 7. Deuce Carter 13.83.
400H: 1. Kemar Mowatt 48.70; 2. Romel Lewis 49.46; 3. Jaheel Hyde 49.57; 4. Shawn Rowe 49.92; 5. Javan Gallimore 50.46; 6. Sheldon Williams 50.55.
LJ: 1. Tajay Gayle 27-½ (8.24) (25-10¼, 27-½, 26-8½, f, 26-3¾, 26-7¾) (7.88, 8.24, 8.14, f, 8.02, 8.12); 2. Adrian Riley 26-1 (7.95) PR; 3. Ifeanyi Otuonye (TKS) 25-8¼ (7.83).
TJ: 1. Latario Collie-Minns (Bah) 56-2¾w (17.14); 2. Clive Pullen 55-10¼w (17.02) (53-10½/16.42); 3. Jordan Scott 55-¼w (16.77); 4. O’Brien Wasome 53-7¾ (16.35); 5. Kaiwan Culmer (Bah) 53-5 (16.28).
SP: 1. O’Dayne Richards 65-4¾ (19.93).
DT: 1. Traves Smikle 211-7 (64.50); 2. Fedrick Dacres 208-3 (63.49).
JAMAICA WOMEN’S RESULTS
(6/20—100h, 400Hh; 6/21—100sf, 100, 400h, 400H, LJ, DT; 6/22—800, SP)
100(0.6): 1. Elaine Thompson 10.73 (WL) (10.726); 2. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce 10.73 (=WL) (10.729) (both x, =20 W);
3. Briana Williams 10.94 WYR, HSR (old records 10.98 Candace Hill [Rockdale, Conyers, Ga ’15) (4, 4 WJ);
4. Jonielle Smith 11.04 PR; 5. Natalliah Whyte 11.09; 6. Natasha Morrison 11.18; 7. Simone Facey 11.28; 8. Schillonie Calvert-Powell 11.36.
Semis: II(0.4)–2. Briana Williams 11.01 PR (WYL, HSL (7, 7 WJ; 2, 2 HS).
200(-0.2): 1. Thompson 22.00 (WL);
2. Fraser-Pryce 22.22; 3. Calvert-Powell 22.92; 4. Shashalee Forbes 22.96.
400: 1. Shericka Jackson 49.78 PR; 2. Anastasia Le-Roy 50.94; 3. Stephenie Ann McPherson 51.01;
4. Roneisha McGregor 51.36 PR; 5. Christine Day 51.60; 6. Tiffany James 51.73; 7. Sharrika Barnett 52.01.
800: 1. Natoya Goule 1:59.50; 2. Jazmine Fray 2:03.01; 3. Alena Brooks (Tri) 2:04.41; 4. Chrishuna Williams (US) 2:04.88.
100H: final not run. Heats: I(0.5)–1. Janeek Brown 12.68.
400H: 1. Rushell Clayton 54.73 PR; 2. Shiann Salmon 55.39 PR; 3. Rhonda Whyte 55.41;
4. Janieve Russell 55.57; 5. Ristananna Tracey 55.70; 6. Nikita Tracey 55.83; 7. Kaliese Carter 55.87; 8. Ranae McKenzie 56.55.
LJ: 1. Tissanna Hickling 22-3 (6.78).
TJ: 1. Shanieka Ricketts 48-4 (14.73); 2. Kim Williams 47-2½ (14.39); 3. Shardia Lawrence 45-4½ (13.83); 4. Tamara Myers (Bah) 45-2½ (13.78); 5. Imani Oliver (US) 44-5¼ (13.54).
SP: 1. Danniel Thomas-Dodd 60-9¼ (18.52).
DT: 1. Shadae Lawrence 200-7 (61.14); 2. Shanice Love 193-8 (59.05). ◻︎
