Smith in Olympic squad Triple jumper late addition to Jamaica’s Olympic squad

SMITH… initially omitted from Jamaican squad

The Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) added 2005 World triple jump champion Trecia Smith to the Olympic team yesterday after initially omitting the former Sportswoman of the Year.

“Please be informed that Trecia Smith is a member of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association’s Track & Field team to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing,” a terse JAAA release stated yesterday.

“The team departs on July 29 and returns August 25, 2008,” the release added. Smith’s inclusion takes the number of athletes in the track & field delegation to 52.

Earlier, the Observer contacted Neville ‘Teddy’ McCook, a member of the JAAA’s Selection Committee, who revealed that their information suggested that Smith had not attained the ‘A’ (14.20m) or ‘B’ (14.00m) qualifying standard for the Olympics, prompting her omission from the team to the 29th Olympiad.

“Miss Smith hasn’t got a qualifying mark, either ‘A’ or ‘B’ standard, and as a result of that there is no way that she can be selected,” McCook said.

JAMAICA JUNIOR TEAM IN POLAN

RUDDOCK… has one of the fastest times among Juniors in 100m hurdles

Sprinter Nickel Ashmeade and hurdler Natasha Ruddock were yesterday named captains of Jamaica’s team to the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships in athletics which starts in Bydgoszcz, Poland, next Tuesday.

Ashmeade, a St Jago High School athlete, qualified for both the 100m and 200m at the meet with top two finishes at the National Junior Trials at GC Foster College last month.

The Boys Champs and CARIFTA Under-20 200m gold medallist won the half-lap event at Junior Trials and was second to Herbert Morrison’s Dexter Lee in the 100m.
Despite tripping on the final barrier in the Girls 17-19 100m hurdles event at Trials, Ruddock, a former St Jago star who attends Essex County Community College in New Jersey, has one of the fastest times among Juniors in the world. She was selected, along with Shermaine Williams, to contest the event.
Despite several delays in London, where they changed planes, and in Poland where they arrived on Tuesday, the team has settled and has begun training, manager Ian Forbes told the Observer yesterday.
Forbes said they experienced delays during the bus transfer from Gatwick International airport in London to Heathrow, where they joined a flight to Warsaw, the Polish capital - which was also delayed.
There were further delays once they got to Poland between Warsaw and Posnan and from Posnan to Bydgoszcz.
Forbes said three bags belonging to members of the delegation which did not arrive with them on Tuesday turned up yesterday and the athletes and managers were all in good spirits.
The team had their first training session yesterday as they joined the pre-competition camp and another session was planed for this morning under the supervision of technical head Jerry Holness and head coach Danny Hawthorne.
Members of the 32-member Jamaican team will be in action on the first day in the qualifying heats of the 400m for Boys and Girls; the first round and semi-finals of the 100m for Boys and Girls; Boys long jump, Girls’ high jump and first-round heats of the 800m for both Boys’ and Girls.

ASAFA NOT SHAKEN BY OPPONENTS - GREAT INTERVIEW

RUNNING 9.68 second is fast, really fast. Actually, Tyson Gay’s clocking at the United States’ Olympic Trials in Oregon at the weekend is the fastest ever recorded over the distance.

It was done with a following wind of 4.1 metres per second (mps), well above the allowable limit for a world record, 2.0.

Asafa Powell is no stranger to the 100m world record, having owned the mark for close to three years - from June 2005 to May 31 this year with multiple 9.77 timings which he lowered to 9.74 in Rieti, Italy, last September.

So 9.68 with such a forceful wind motoring one on doesn’t scare him.

“It shows that he (Gay) is in pretty good shape,” Powell told The Gleaner when asked about the fast time recorded by the American who won the sprint double at the World Championship in Osaka last year.

“Running 9.68 with 4+ (wind reading) is nothing to really look at because a lot of people can do that. It’s like running in a hurricane,” he joked.

Fastest time

In 1996, Barbadian sprinter Obadele Thompson clocked what was then the fastest time recorded over the distance, 9.69 seconds, with a storm kicking at his heels at 5.0 mps. Two years after, he recorded his personal best, 9.87.

Before this weekend, Gay’s best was 9.84 seconds. He decimated that by seven-hundredths of a second to 9.77, while running in the quarter-finals at the same US trials.

Besides Gay, Powell’s compatriot Usain Bolt has been burning up the track lately, having established the new world record of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York on May 31. He also ran 9.76 in May, and finished ahead of Powell in Saturday’s 100m final at the Jamaican trials at the National Stadium.

As they race towards the Olympics in Beijing next month, Powell, who has been largely inactive this outdoor season following a shoulder surgery about two months ago, has taken note of both, but remains focused on his task.

Focused

“They (Bolt and Gay) are running very fast. But that’s not for me to be thinking about right now. It’s really for me to be focused on my own health and to try and get back in good form.”

He added: “They are there, I can’t ignore them, but if you want to win, to go out and think about your opponents is not the right thing to do. I can’t control how the other guys run. I have to at least run my best.”

JAMAICA’S OLYMPICS TEAM SELECTIONS

  THE Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) yesterday named a strong 51-member athletic squad for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, August 8-24, following the National Senior Track & Field Championships last weekend.

Double sprint champion Usain Bolt heads the Men’s list and 100m champion and 200m silver medallist Kerron Stewart the Women’s.

Though the list did not specify the respective events athletes will compete in at the Games, seven of the eight finalists in both the Men’s and Women’s 100 metres were named, including Nickeisha Anderson, who finished seventh in the 100m and sixth in the 200m final.

Meanwhile, Observer sources say World 100m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, who finished fourth in the 100m at the National Championships at the weekend after clocking a season’s best 10.88 seconds, will be an alternate in the event in accordance with JAAA team selection criteria and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Olympic Games entry standards.

The JAAA selection criteria states that “athletes placing in the first to third positions in all events will be selected, provided that they have attained the qualifying ‘A’ standard for the competition. The fourth-placed athlete will be named as an alternate for the individual event”.

According to IAAF Olympic Games entry standards rules, National Olympic Committees have until July 23 to nominate three athletes to be accredited for an event and nominate a fourth as a reserve.

“This reserve could be selected to replace an entered athlete until the time of the technical meeting for the respective event, one day prior to the first competition in the event, and the accreditation status of the replaced athlete transferred to the newly entered athlete”, the rule states.
Despite having made the ‘A’ qualifying standard (14.20m) in the prescribed period, Helsinki 2005 World triple jump champion, Trecia Smith, who leaped 13.61 metres for victory at the Trials has been omitted from the squad.

Smith, a surprise winner in Helsinki three years ago, has battled injury this season and had been doubtful for the Championships. She leaped 14.35 metres at the National Trials on June 23 last year.

However, Women’s long jump champion, Chelsea Hammond; javelin winner Olivia McKoy and Men’s 800m champion Aldwyn Sappleton - who have all attained the Olympic qualifying ‘B’ standard - were among the 25 male and 26 female athletes named.

IAAF rules specify that national associations may enter one qualified athlete per event if he or she has met the ‘B’ qualifying standard between January 1, 2007, and July 23, 2008.

Nesta Carter, who did not start in the final of the Men’s 100 metres due to cramps but finished fourth in the 200 metres, has been named.

Holmwood Technical student, Bobby Gaye Wilkins, has also been included following her fifth-placed finish in the Women’s 400 metres.

Bailey, Phillips in team for weekend’s CAC Games

Olympic relay gold medallist Aileen Bailey, hurdler Isa Phillips and Herbert McGregor who were named in the team to participate in the Beijing Olympics, will lead Jamaica’s 16-member team to the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Cali, Colombia, this weekend.
The team, which was selected based on results of last weekend’s National Senior Trials held at the National Stadium, is scheduled to leave the island today for the meet on Friday and Sunday.

No relay teams were named in the scaled-down squad.
Bailey, a finalist in the 100 and 200 metres last weekend, will run the sprint double while Moya Reynolds and Sonita Sutherland will contest the 400 metres.
Former William Knibb and Lincoln University sprinter, Lerone Clarke, along with Davion Spence, will run the 100m, while Xavier Brown will defend his 200m crown won in Cartagena, Colombia, two years ago.

Long jumper McGregor won a bronze two years ago but it came in the 4×100m relay. This weekend he and Senior Champs double gold medallists Julian Reid will contest the long jump.

Former national record-holder in the decathlon, Claston Bernard, will return to competition after a two-year break and will compete in part one of the 10-event discipline.

Men’s squad: Lerone Clarke, Davion Spence, Xavier Brown, DeCosmo Wright, Isa Phillips, Claston Bernard, Herbert McGregor, Julian Reid, Hickel Woolery.

Women’s squad: Aileen Bailey, Moya Thomas, Sonita Sutherland, Julian Reynolds, Caltha Seymore, Zara Northover, Kateema Riettie.

Team manager is Carol Long, assistant manger/coach Roy Thomas, coaches Orville Byfield and Joseph Shand.

US-based sprinter motivated for World Junior Champs

Hawthorne… I’m very focused and just want to do well

Despite only arriving in the island Sunday night and turning around Monday for a long journey to Poland via London where she will represent Jamaica for the first time at the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships in athletics, Trisha-Ann Hawthorne is excited to be wearing the black, green and gold.
The 18-year-old was named to the 32-member team by the selection committee of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA), despite not attending the National Junior Trials held at GC Foster College two weeks ago as she has the fastest time of any Jamaican Junior in the 100m and 200m this season.

Hawthorne, who was born in Kingston and grew up in Mount Ogle in St Andrew, is a freshman at the University of Connecticut where she posted 11.44 seconds over 100m and 23.3 in the 200m.

Slipping between a slight American accent and the Jamaican Creole, Hawthorne - who is coached by former Jamaican 800m World Indoor Championships gold medallist Clive Terrelonge - said she was excited at the prospects of representing her country.

Hawthorne, who represented Dunrobin Prep before attending Mona High for one term before migrating to the United States at age 12, told the Observer she “never dreamt I would be going to the World Junior Championships; it wasn’t even on my mind”.

“I just thought I would do track, get through my first college season and then this was introduced to me and I jumped at it as I thought it was a great opportunity,” she said.

According to the athlete, it was Terrelonge - who won the gold medal at the 1995 World Indoor Championships held in Madrid, Spain - who called the JAAA and told them about her.

She said the coach was “always telling me I need to run fast as I can make it to the Jamaican team. That’s when I started taking it really seriously, telling myself this is a big step and this is why we train so hard”.

Hawthorne said her main goal was to finally go under the 23.00-second barrier in Poland after running under 23.40secs on four occasions this year.

“I’m training hard and I’m very focused and just want to do well and represent my country,” she told the Observer.

While she was meeting her team-mates for the first time when the team gathered on Monday, Hawthorne said this would not be a problem as she is “a very sociable person and get along well with everyone”.

Hawthorne, who wasted no time to try on her new Jamaican shirt on Monday, played netball as a youngster in Jamaica and also played football while in high school in New York, saying it helped keep her in good condition for track & field.

Asked which event she preferred, she paused for a moment before saying: “I want to say the 100m because it is shorter, but I do better in the 200m.”

World Juniors coach confident Jamaica will shine!!!!!

Danny Hawthorne, coach of the Jamaican team to the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships, is confident the 32-member team which departed for Poland will
do well.

“I’m happy with the team we have as I know these boys and girls are ready and raring to do well and… as Jamaicans we always want to do well whenever we go anywhere.
“I’m not expecting anything but the very best from them,” Hawthorne told the Observer on Monday as the team assembled at the offices of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association at the National Arena.
There are injury concerns surrounding key members of the team, including IAAF World Youth Championships 200m gold medallist Ramone McKenzie and 400m hurdles finalist Shana-Gay Tracey, but Hawthorne said all the athletes were given a clean bill of health.

The delegation was due to arrive in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz yesterday and will take part in a five-day camp, starting today. Hawthorne said this will help the coaching staff “to assess everyone on their form and fitness and to make necessary adjustments”.
While the team management has an idea who will contest the various events, Hawthorne said it is yet to make a final decision, especially in the boys’ 100m.
IAAF World Youth Championship 100m gold medallist Dexter Lee won the Junior Trials two weeks ago, while Nickel Ashmeade was second after National Junior record-holder Yohan Blake was disqualified for a false start.

Hawthorne was reluctant to divulge whether or not Blake would contest the 100m, but said they would have a better idea when the camp starts.

Jamaicans among record numbers for IAAF Youth Champs

Jamaica’s contingent of 32 athletes which left the island Monday bound for Bydgoszcz, Poland, for the 12th IAAF World Junior Championships between July 8-13, will be among the largest ever number of teams taking part at the meet that is held every two years.

The IAAF confirmed earlier that a record 183 countries from a total of 213 affiliates had confirmed their entries for the meet which is open to athletes between 17-19 years old.

A release from the IAAF described the level of entries as “phenomenal”, surpassing the next best which was 176 entries in Beijing two years ago.

The Jamaican team was expected to arrive in Poland yesterday and will enter a pre-competition training camp along with other NACAC countries today.

Ian Forbes, manager of the Jamaican team, said the journey “shouldn’t be too difficult…it will be challenging, but nothing we can’t handle”.

The contingent was expected arrive in London at about 1:00 pm (Jamaican time) yesterday before heading off to Warsaw, Poland, after a four-hour delay, then take another short flight to the competition venue.

The camp will last until July 6, at which time the Jamaicans will move into the Games Village.

JAMAICANS PLEASE READ THIS SH*T - WHAT A BAG OF CRAP

THIS ARTICLE IS NOT WORTHY OF MY SITE BUT I MUST SHOW MY FELLOW JAMAICANS HOW THE WORLD IS BIAS AND BAD MINDED ESPECIALLY THE BIG U.S. OF A.I RECENTLY SAW THIS ARTICLE ON A WEBSITE AND I MUST THIS IS THE MOST SH*T OF WRITING I HAVE EVER SEEN. THIS ARTICLE WAS CLEARLY WRITTEN BY SOME WHO KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT TRACK AND FIELD. WITH STATEMENTS LIKE THIS : “It’s the kind of computation Gay likes, because, in his way of thinking, it allows him to remain out of the media glare. Let Bolt and fellow Jamaican Asafa Powell bask in it.” IT MAKES ME MADE AS A JAMAICAN. BUT GAY WILL GET HIS ASS HANDED TO HIM WHEN THE OLYMPICS ARRIVE!!!!!

“

EUGENE, Ore. – Probably the guy least impressed with the fastest 100 meters in history is the guy who actually ran it.

Tyson Gay shrugged, flashed an awkward smile and was generally dismissive after winning the 100 at the U.S. Olympic Trials yesterday in a preposterous 9.68 seconds (you read that right), which would be a world record had the Hayward Field wind gauge not read plus-4.1 meters per second – over the allowable limit of 2.0 mps for record purposes.

How was his race?

“It was OK,” he said.

But this is Gay, who breaks records and also breaks the mold of your typical world-class sprinter – the trash-talking, gesture-making, self-promoting, expletive-spewing mass of tattooed muscles. Gay, 25, is a mama’s boy from Arkansas who goes to church, watches what he eats and gets to bed on time.

He speaks in a near whisper. He lets others provide the superlatives.

“Amazing,” said Harvey Glance, a gold-medal sprinter from the 1976 Olympics and now an assistant U.S. sprint coach. “That’s a pretty historic moment. I don’t care what conditions you are running in. Nine-six is extraordinary.”

Beijing 2008 - Usain Bolt Q&A

A question and answer session with world 100 metre record holder and Puma poster boy Usain Bolt.

More Stories

• Athletics season bests
• Athlete profile: Usain Bolt

The Jamaican 200 metre specialist surprisingly broke compatriot Asafa Powell’s 9.74 second record with a 7.72 run on May 31st and, ahead of a potential Olympic showdown with double world champion Tyson Gay in Beijing, he spoke of his sporting hero and love of Jamaican food.

Q. What’s the best stadium in the World to run in?

A. Jamaica Stadium

Q. Did you have a sprint hero you looked up to growing up?

A. Michael Johnson

Q. Who is the greatest sprinter of all-time?

A. Michael Johnson

Q. What’s the most impressive sprint performance ever?

A. Michael Johnson’s 200m world record

Q. If you weren’t a track star what would you be?

A. A cricketer

Q. What’s the proudest moment in Jamaican sprinting history?

A. Asafa Powell’s world record run of 9.74

Q. Besides the competition, what are you looking forward to most in Beijing?

A. Probably the food

JAMAICA OLYMPIC TRIALS UPDATE - VERONICA MAKES A COME BACK IN 200M

Veronica Campbell-Brown rebounded from her disappointing fourth-placed finish in Saturday’s 100m final with a life-time best and world leading 21.94secs (wind 1.1 m/s) to win the 200 metres on yesterday’s third and final day of the Supreme Ventures National Senior Track and Field Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston.

OVERJOYED Veronica Campbell-Brown reacts after confirming her winning time, a personal best 21.94 seconds in the women’s 200 metres final at the Supreme Ventures National Senior Track and Field Championships at the National Stadium last night. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Running in lane three, Campbell-Brown produced an impressive start to take the lead off the corner before powering to the fourth fastest time ever by a Jamaican woman. Only national record holder Merlene Ottey (21.64), Grace Jackson (21.72), and Juliet Cutbert (21.75) have run faster than Campbell-Brown, who shaved 0.11 off her previous best of 22.05.

Campbell-Brown was understandably elated with securing her spot on the team to Beijing.

“The way my training has been going my coach (Lance Brauman) was very confident that I would run 21 (seconds) tonight as long as I executed,” she said. “Last night (Saturday) I don’t know what happened, but I was disappointed.it was just a shocker to me, but it’s just a part of life. I just had to bounce back and come out here and make sure that I’m on the Olympic team for an individual race,” the reigning world 100m champion explained, noting that she should be able to run 10.7 before the season is out.

Kerron Stewart, who won the 100m title on Saturday, took second in a career best 21.99secs, becoming the fifth fastest Jamaican woman over the half-lap event. Commonwealth champion Sherone Simpson was third 22.11secs.

World 100-metre record holder (9.72secs) Usain Bolt toyed with the field, shutting down with 60-metres remaining to stop the clock at 19.97secs. Bolt became the first man since Dwight Thomas in 2002 to take the sprint double.

Usain Bolt (centre) eases down towards the end of the men’s 200 metres final at the National Stadium last night. Bolt won in 19.97 seconds. At left is Nester Carter, while Ricardo Williams is at right. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

“It feels good to be double champion, but the aim was just to come here and qualify and I did that, so I’m pretty satisfied with myself,” said Bolt. “I didn’t want to go too fast because I’ve gone through a lot (three rounds of 100 and two rounds of 200) this weekend,” the world 200m silver medallist added.

Marvin Anderson (20.17) and Christopher Williams (20.20) were second and third, respectively.

The youthful Rosemarie Whyte and the experienced Michael Blackwood obliged in the 400m metres, beating their more favoured opponents. Whyte produced a late burst in the last 30 metres to beat World Championships bronze medallist Novlene Williams-Mills at the tape in a life-time best 50.05secs.

“I knew I was going to run 50-point because of the training that I’ve been getting,” said Whyte, who is coached by Maurice Wilson at GC Foster College.

Williams-Mills was timed at 50.11 ahead of Shericka Williams, 50.33secs.

Blackwood rolled back the years to get the better of young ‘Turks’ Richard Chambers and defending champion Sanjay Ayre in a blanket finish. Blackwood got the nod in 45.21secs, while Chambers and Ayre were both credited with 45.24.

Blackwood told the Observer he never doubted that he would win. “I know that I have a strong base, so I knew I would finish strong.I never panicked at all, so I just held my composure and finish as strong as possible,” said Blackwood, who was winning his fourth national title, having done so in 2001, ‘02 and ‘03.

Two-time World Championship medallist Brigitte Foster-Hylton recovered from a poor start to storm through the field to nip defending champion Delloreen Ennis-London on the line for her fifth national title. The national record holder (12.45secs) produced a season-best 12.50 for the victory ahead of her good friend Ennis-London, 12.57secs. “That was really a lousy start.I really had to run past all the girls, they were all ahead of me, but I am confident in my speed and confident in my strength,” said Foster-Hylton, who also won national titles in 2002, ‘03, ‘05, ‘06.

Ennis-London was equally satisfied to make her third Olympic team, having competed in Sydney (2000) and Athens (2004). “I stumbled over the third hurdle, I kind of lost it from there and then my last three hurdles I started to reach to ensure I made the team, so technically it wasn’t a good race, but I’m thankful that I’m on the team,” said Ennis-London, a former seven-time champion at this level. Vonette Dixon was third in 12.71secs.

The men’s equivalent went to Richard Phillips in 13.57secs ahead of Decosma Wright, 13.64, and eight-time former champion Maurice Wignall, 13.65secs.

Reigning 800 metres Commonwealth Games silver medallist Kenia Sinclair secured her fourth consecutive national tile by posting two minutes 01.46secs. The national record holder (1 minute, 57.88sces), who sustained an injury to her left Achilles in Friday’s preliminaries, came through 400m in 58.32secs. “I’m a little sour today (yesterday), but I still came out and did my best,” Sinclair said. “After the spiking incident of Friday I decided I was just going to take it easy and do whatever it was going to take to be the national champion of the 2008 Jamaica Olympic trials,” she added. Sinclair also secured national titles in 2005, ‘06 and ‘07. Neisha Bernard Thomas of Grenada (2:02.56) and Sheena Gooding (2:04.23) of Barbados, were second and third, respectively.

Alwyn Sappleton, who has only attained the Olympic ‘B’ (1:47.00) standard, captured the men’s equivalent in a pedestrian 1 minute, 48.45secs. It was Sappleton’s fourth straight lien on the national crown. He recorded the ‘B’ standard at last summer’s Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

JAMAICA NATIONAL TRIALS - MENS 100M FINALS

BOLT, ASAFA, AND FRATER TOP 3 AT JAMAICA NATIONAL TRIALS

World record-holder Usain Bolt beat former record-holder Asafa Powell in the 100-meter final Saturday night in Jamaica’s Olympic trials, finishing in 9.85 seconds.

Powell was second in 9.97.

“We are good friends and that’s why I have been telling everyone that it won’t be a clash here,” Bolt said. “We just came to qualify for the Olympics, but in the end, I guess the crowd was a little disappointed with this.”

Last month in New York, Bolt ran a 9.72 to break Powell’s world record of 9.74.

“I just went out there to execute the first 50 and, in the end, I am very pleased with my performance,” Powell said. “The aim was to make the team and, I did that, so I am OK. … I’m just coming off an injury, so I did what I had to do.

Kerron Stewart won the women’s 100 in 10.80, the second-fastest time by a Jamaican woman ever. Shelly-Ann Fraster was second in 10.85, Sherone Simpson followed in 10.87 and world champion Veronica Campbell-Brown was fourth in 10.87.

“My aim first was to make the team. It wasn t about the time, but I am very pleased with 10.80 seconds,” Stewart said.

In the women s triple jump, Trecia Smith, the 2005 world champion, won at 44 feet, 8 inches. Mardrea Hyman (4:21.00) and Kevin Campbell (3:56.97) won the 1,500s, and Melaine Walker (54.5 and Danny McFarlane (48.6 took the 400 hurdles.

Powell, Bolt cruise into Jamaica semi-finals

THE world’s two fastest men, Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, have cruised into the semi-finals of the men’s 100m at Jamaica’s Olympic track and field trials. Powell was the more aggressive in his heat, racing to victory in season-best 9.90 seconds.

“I am just using this as my practice going into Beijing,” Powell said.

He continued to play down a clash with Bolt. Asked about the showdown, he replied, “whatever it takes to get to Beijing, I will be there”.

Bolt, in heat one, stopped the clock in 10.19 seconds.

“I came out here this evening to get a feel of the track and the atmosphere, but will come back tomorrow to take care of business,” Bolt said.

Reigning Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell meanwhile booked her spot in the women’s event.
Profile: Asafa Powell

own won heat one in 11.28 seconds but Kerron Stewart stole the show, winning heat three in 10.99 - the day’s fastest time.

Shelly-Ann Fraser (11.01) and Sherone Simpson (11.11) recorded the next-best times.

In the men’s 400m hurdles, Isa Phillips, who won heat one in a season-best 48.78 seconds, leads Markino Buckley (49.21) and Danny McFarlane, the silver medalist from Athens (49.54) into Sunday’s final (EST).

Asafa versus Bolt after easy wins in heats

Former world 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell and Kerron Stewart sounded a signal of things to come in today’s finals of the men’s and women’s 100 metres by posting sub-10 and sub-11 times respectively on yesterday’s first day of competition at the Supreme Ventures National Senior Track and Field championships at the National Stadium.

Running in lane three of heat two, Powell exploded from the blocks and powered to the tape in 9.90 seconds ( wind 1.5m/s), beating his nearest rival and training partner Winston Barnes (10.33) by 0.43secs.

Former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell (left) and current world record holder Usain Bolt on their way to easy wins in last night’s men’s 100-metre heats at the National Stadium. Powell clocked an impressive 9.90 seconds, while Bolt cruised to 10.19 seconds. The two fastest men on the planet will sqaure off for national honours today in the semis scheduled for 6:20 pm and the final slated for 7:55 pm. (Photos: Bryan Cummings)

On the women’s side, Kerron Stewart looked impressive in posting 10.99secs, the fastest time heading into today’s semi-finals.

The 2007 NCAA 200m champions exploded from the blocks and left Shelly-Ann Fraser (11.02secs PB) and 2006 Commonwealth 200m champions Sherone Simpson (11.11secs) in her wake. Title-holder and reigning world champions Veronica Campbell ran conservatively to win heat one in 11.28 ahead of Nickesha Anderson (11.33) and Aleen Bailey (11.33).

Samantha Henry, formerly of the Queens High School, also recorded a personal best of 11.16secs to win ahead of Sheri-Ann Brooks (11.26) and Simone Facey (11.34secs) respectively.

Isa Phillips enters today’s final of the men’s 400m hurdles with the fastest time, having clocked a season best 48.78 seconds to beat defending champion and Olympic silver medlallist Danny McFarlane (49.54) in heat one.

Kenia Sinclair, the 2006 commonwealth silver medallist, and Aldwyn Sappleton leads all qualifiers for tomorrow’s final of the 800 metres.

Sinclair shrugged off a spiking incident on the first lap to post 2:02.87 seconds, beating Neisha Bernard Thomas of Grenada (2:03.23) and Mellissa D-Leon of Trinidad & Tobago (2:06.19). Sappleton looked composed in producing 1:51.06secs to win heat two of the men’s equivalent.

The heptathlon was postponed because only one athlete, Peaches Roach, reported for the 100m hurdles - the first of the seven-event discipline.

Eleven finals are down to be completed on today’s second day of competition, including the men’s and women’s 100m.

Kenia Sinclair declares she is fit to run after ‘minor’ injury

REIGNING 800 metres Commonwealth silver medallist Kenia Sinclair has declared her self fit for tomorrow’s final of the half-mile despite sustaining a bad gash in a spiking incident in the heats on day one of the Supreme Ventures National Senior Track and Field Championships.

Sinclair, who suffered the injury at the base of the Achilles tendon on her right foot approximately 120 metres into heat one, came through the first lap in 59 seconds before taking the heat in two minutes 02.87 seconds.

“I spoke with one of the medical attendees and it’s not a major spiking, but the thing is that it aggravated an old injury I got in 2005 which I think did not heal properly,” Sinclair explained moments after having her left ankle tightly bandaged by the medical team.

Dr Kwesi Davis, who attended to Sinclair said the defending national champion should be race fit by tomorrow having received treatment.

“She is suffering a little contusion and a superficial injury, which means there is not much damage and should be fine for (today’s) 800 final,” Dr Davis said, however, the middle distance queen is having doubts about competing in today’s heats of the 1,500m.

“I was expecting to run the 1,500 tomorrow (today), but based on how I’m feeling right now, I don’t think I’m feeling right,” added the national 800 metres (one minute 57.88secs) record holder.

“For (the 800) final on Sunday (tomorrow) I will be sure to compete because a lot of people out there who came here to support me, so I’m just going to go out there and do my best,” added Sinclair who owns a silver medal from the 2006 World Indoor Championships.

Chelsea Hammond leaps into Beijing Olympics

Despite not jumping anywhere near her best this season, Chelsea Hammond did enough to book her ticket to Beijing this summer after retaining her long jump title on yesterday’s first day of the JAAA National Senior Championships at the National Stadium.

Hammond, who is the only Jamaican female long jumper with an Olympic ‘B’ standard, won the event with a best jump of 6.16m and later said she would be “happy with anything right now” while admitting it was a tough day.

Chelsea Hammond in her jump of 6.16m at the JAAA National Senior Championships at the National Stadium last evening. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

Hammond who suffered an injury after winning the event last year and missed the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan has a season best 6.69m and said she would use the time between now and the Olympic Games to prepare, “just keep doing what I have been doing, training hard”.

Hammond’s best jump last night came on her fifth attempt and was accompanied by a -0.7m/s wind.

He second best attempt was 6.57m done on her final attempt which was still better than second placed Jovanee Jarrett’s 6.52m while Nolle Graham was third with 6.49m.
National record holder Elva Goulbourne was fourth with a best of 6.42m.

Former World Championship gold medalist Trecia Smith will try to make the team today when she lines up to defend her title in the triple jump against a small field of five athletes.

Smith who is recovering from a back injury suffered in Osaka last year has not been competing this year but told the Observer this week, “I’ve been quietly preparing… I didn’t have the surgery because it wasn’t necessary.”

The former Manning’s School and Pittsburg University student said she has had “several MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scans done after the inflammation went down and it is a central protrusion, but it does not require surgery and I’ve been managing that and I started training in October,” Smith explained.

Louisiana State University’s Andrea Linton who has a season best 13.57m will also be in the field.

Former St Hughes High athlete, 21-year-old Phelecia Reynolds, now attending Louisiana Tech won her first national senior title when she took the women’s discus throw in 45.15m
The LA Tech junior holder and Western Athletics Conference (WAC) champion who came in with a season and personal best 51.69m, beat Genneva Greaves of MVP Track Club- 42.00m and former Vere Technical Girls Champs winner Kenisha Throughsingh- 40.55m.

Aundre Clarke of the University of Technology retained the men’s javelin throw with a best mark of 61.58m, just better than the 61.27m he threw to win last year.

Michael Chambers of GC Foster College was second with 50.28m while Wilton Peart was third with 36.34m.

Zara Northover will defend her shot put title this afternoon and will start favourite to win after a personal best 17.01m earlier.

Nadia Alexander of Louisiana Tech who won the discus last year is expected to be her main rival.

The men’s high jump and men’s discuss will also be contested today.