KINGSTON, JAMAICA (AFP) – Shericka Jackson threw down the gauntlet with a personal best and world-leading 10.65 seconds, the fifth-fastest ever, as she retained her women’s 100 metres (m) title at the Jamaican championships yesterday.
Jackson, who won the silver medal at last year’s World Championships in Oregon, is tied with American Marion Jones for fifth on the all-time list and eclipsed the previous fastest time of the year, the 10.71 set American Sha’Carrie Richardson at the US championships on Thursday.
With Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who did not compete in Kingston, holding a wild card as defending world champion, Jamaica will have four runners in the event at the World Championships in Budapest in August.
Jackson won in a legal wind of 1.0m per second while Shashalee Forbes ran a new personal best 10.96 for second place and Natasha Morrison was third in 10.98.
Two time Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah was fifth in 11.06 seconds.
Relative unknown Rohan Watson stunned the large crowd when he won men’s 100m in his first ever final at any level, running a personal best 9.91 seconds (1.1m per second), tied for ninth best in the world and 10th best ever by any Jamaican.It was his second sub-10 seconds in 24 hours after running 9.98 in Thursday’s first round.
Ryiem Forde was also under the 10-second mark with a personal best 9.98. World Championships finalist Oblique Seville was third in 10.00.
Roshawn Clarke equalled the world under-20 record in the men’s 400m hurdles, running 47.85 seconds.
Clarke, the World Under-20 bronze medallist, tied the world mark held by American Sean Burrell. He also surpassed his previous personal best 48.91 set in Thursday’s semi-finals and is the second Jamaican man to run under 48.
Last year’s winner, Jaheel Hyde, was second in 48.45 while Assinie Wilson was third in a personal best 48.50.
Clarke and Wilson joined Hyde as qualifiers for the World Championships.
Janieve Russell won a thrilling women’s 400m hurdles final, her third straight national title and fifth overall, after she ran 43.75 seconds, just beating Andrenette Knight, who ran 53.78, and Rushell Clayton in 53.81, all three running season-best times.
US college (NCAA) double champion Romaine Beckford and middle distance runner Adelle Tracey won their first national titles in the men’s high jump and 1500m respectively.
Beckford cleared 2.23m, the same mark as second placed Christoff Bryan, with last year’s winner Lushane Wilson third at 2.15m.
Beckford jumped a personal best 2.27 earlier this year and is tied for 16th in the world while Wilson is ranked 22nd with his personal best 2.26.
Tracey, the American born daughter of former Jamaican runner Nicholas Tracey and who represented Great Britain up to last year, ran 4:19.23 seconds to win the women’s 1500m as she looks to represent Jamaica in the 800m/1500m double at the worlds.
Former Commonwealth Games steeplechase champion Aisha Praught-Leer was second in 4:23.05.
