Jamaicans speed to victory in Turin

TURIN: Jamaicans Juliet Campbell and Lorraine Graham-Fenton have registered good wins at the Primo Nebiolo Memorial — IAAF Grand Prix II — meeting. Campbell ran a personal season’s best 22.79 seconds in the 200 metres, while Graham-Fenton set the sixth fastest 400-metre time this year when she won in 50.45 seconds. Hicham El Guerrouj produced the highlight of the meet with 2003 world best win in the men’s 3,000 metres. Campbell, the 2001 World Indoor champion over the distance, scored her first major win of the year as she edged Romania’s Ionela Tirlea (22.80) by 0.01 seconds, with French star Christine Arron, a close third in the half-lap sprint in 22.92 seconds. Bahamian Christine Amertil, who won the Milan 400 on Tuesday night, finished fourth in 23.39 seconds. Graham-Fenton, who won silver at the last Olympic Games and World Championship meet, was a comfortable winner of the women’s 400 metres, topping Senegal’s Amy Mbacke Thiam (51.59).

Kareem Streete-Thompson of the Cayman Islands and Jamaicans Davian Clarke, Ricardo Williams, Debbie-Ann Parris and Kemel Thompson secured top-three finishes. Streete-Thompson’s best long jump was measured at 7.85 metres for third behind Salim Sdiri (8.00) of France and Italian Nic Trentin (7.94). Olympian Clarke ran 45.30 seconds in a close second in the men’s 400 metres to Eric Milazar of Mauritius, who was 0.02 seconds faster in 45.28. Williams ran his quickest 100-metre time this year, 10.29 seconds as he finished third to American Coby Miller (10.10) and Uchenna Emedolu (10.19). Namibian veteran Frankie Fredericks was fifth in 10.45 seconds. In the 400 hurdles, Thompson (48.95) pushed Olympic champion Angelo Taylor (48.94) to a close finish in the men’s race, and Parris ran 55.59 seconds for third in the women’s event. Tirlea, beaten by Campbell in the 200, stepped up for gold in the 400-hurdles in 54.10 ahead of American Sandra Glover (54.82). Morocco’s El Guerrouj won the 3,000 metres in a world-leading seven minutes 30.23 seconds.