Bahamian in line for US $m jackpot

BRUSSELS: Bahamian Tonique Williams-Darling, along with Jamaicans Aleen Bailey and Asafa Powell registered impressive victories on Friday in the fifth edition of the IAAF Golden League track and field meet. Williams-Darling was an easy winner in the women’s 400 metres in 49.59 seconds and remains a contender for the US $1 million jackpot. The Olympic gold medallist defeated Mexico’s World champion Ana Guevara for the fourth time this season into second place in 49.95 seconds with Athens finalist Monique Hennagan of the United States finishing third in 50.06 seconds. Another Bahamian Christine Amertil was fifth in 50.78 seconds.

Bailey, a member of the Jamaica 4x100 metres relay team that won gold in Athens, reigned supreme in the women’s 100 metres, crossing the line in 11.08 secs ahead of the consistent Ivet Lolova of Bulgaria (11.11) and Athens silver medallist American Lauryn Williams (11.16). Bahamian 200 metres bronze medallist Debbie Ferguson was fourth in 11.18 seconds and Jamaican Golden Girls Tanya Lawrence (11.18) and Sherone Simpson (11.22) were fifth and sixth respectively. In one of the biggest developments, rising Jamaican star Asafa Powell was in sparkling form to dominate the field in the men’s 100 metres and sought to atone for missing out in Athens.

Powell stormed to a national record and personal best time of 9.89 seconds to defeat Olympic 200 metres champion Shawn Crawford (9.99) into second and Ghana’s Aziz Zakari into third in 10.04 seconds. St. Kitts and Nevis’ World champion Kim Collins could not hang on to a fantastic start and was fourth in 10.09, behind the powerful Jamaican, who shrugged off a disappointing performance in Athens. ‘The other big news was that the Dominican Republic’s Olympic and World champion Felix Sanchez lost his chance at the jackpot when he failed to finish in the 400 metres hurdles event that he has dominated over the last two years.

‘Panama’s Kamani Bayano won the race in 48.30 seconds with Jamaican Kemel Thompson second in 48.49 and French Olympic bronze medallist Naman Keita third in 48.56. ‘The men’s 400 metres was won by American Olympic silver medallist Otis Harris in 44.79 seconds ahead of teammate Jerry Harris (44.94) with Jamaican Olympic finalist Michael Blackwood third in 45.09 seconds. ‘Jamaicans Brandon Simpson (45.19) and Davian Clarke (45.74) were fifth and sixth respectively.

‘In the women’s 200 metres, hometown girl Kim Gevaert dominated the event to win in 22.58 seconds ahead of Great Britain’s Abiodun Oyepitan (22.74) and the Cayman Islands’ Cydonie Mothersill (22.87). ‘Jamaica’s veteran sprinter Beverly MacDonald breasted the tape in 23.14 secs to finish sixth. ‘The Jamaican pair of Delloreen Ennis-London and Lacena Golding-Clarke, both finished seventh (12.88) and eighth (12.93) respectively, in the women’s 100 metres hurdles won by Mariya Koreteyeva of Russia (12.78).