Powell rebounds
Monday, September 01, 2008
LONDON, England (CMC) - Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion Melaine Walker and sprinter Asafa Powell logged Jamaican victories at the Aviva British Grand Prix track and field meet yesterday.
In rainy conditions at Gateshead, Powell sped to an easy win in the men's 100 metres in 9.87 seconds, and Walker stepped away from her rivals for a very solid victory win in 54.51 seconds.
Jamaica's Asafa Powell (centre) goes on to win the men's 100 metres ahead of Jamaica's Nesta Carter (right) and Trinidad & Tobago's Marc Burns (left) during the British Grand Prix at Gateshead International Stadium, England, yesterday. (Photo: AP)
Walker, responsible for one of six gold medals for Jamaica at the recent Beijing Olympics in China, was unchallenged as she came home almost a full second in front of Poland's Anna Jesien (55.35). Britain's Tasha Danvers (55.61) was third.
"Heat in Beijing, rain in Gateshead, it doesn't bother me at all," said Walker.
"It was just good to win," she added.
Meanwhile, Powell shrugged off his disappointing run in Beijing - fifth in the 100-metre final - to dominate the sprint.
"It would have been different in the Olympics if I had run like this. But the past is the past and this is the present," Powell told reporters after his win.
He too was untested as his Jamaican training partner Nesta Carter (10.13) and Trinidad and Tobago's Marc Burns (10.16) chased him home.
Kim Collins, of St Kitts and Nevis, was fourth in 10.23 seconds.
Collins also raced in the 200 metres and placed sixth in 20.68 seconds, as reigning World Champion Tyson Gay won in 20.26 seconds, ahead of fellow American Wallace Spearmon (20.41) and Ireland's Paul Hession (20.61).
Antiguan Brendan Christian was fifth in 20.65 seconds.
Jamaica's Olympic 100-metre champion Shelly-Ann Fraser was beaten into second spot by American Lauryn Williams, who went on to cop the sprint double.
Williams (11.24) edged Fraser (11.29) in the 100 metres, in which Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie (11.42) and Jamaican Sherone Simpson (11.67) placed third and eighth, respectively.
"It's a bit difficult to come down off the high of the Olympics and I'm still feeling a little tired," said Fraser.
"I'd have loved to have won, but it just wasn't to be today," she added.
Williams clocked 22.65 in her 200-metre win, chased by Ferguson-McKenzie (22.73) and Jamaican Olympic 400-metre silver medallist Shericka Williams (22.80).
There were a few other top three results for Caribbean athletes at the meet.
T&T's Ato Stephens (46.09) placed third in the men's 400 metres that Britain's Martyn Rooney (45.35) won, and Jamaican Markino Buckley clocked 50.04 in the men's 400 hurdles, behind Poland's Marek Plawgo (49.07) and American Bershawn Jackson (49.11).
Grenada's Randy Lewis placed second in the men's triple jump at 16.51 metres, as Brazilian Jadel Gregorio emerged a huge winner at 17.13 metres.
