Baptiste beats Olympic champion for 100m gold
T&T Guardian Reports.
T&T’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste sent a strong warning to her Jamaican and American rivals ahead of next month’s World Track and Field Championships, when she roared to victory in the women’s 100 metres at the Samsung Diamond League Paris Leg in the Stade de France, Paris yesterday.
A late surge by Baptiste saw her clock a quick 10.91 seconds with a +0.6m/s tailwin, to beat double Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica (10.95) and another Jamaican, 2009 World 100m silver medallist Kerron Stewart (11.04). Baptiste’s winning time is a new season best, improving on the 10.94 she set in finishing second at the Jamaican Invitational on May 7.
The 2003 World Youth bronze medallist beat a quality field. The national record holder (10.84) whipped Bulgarian Ivet Lalova who has run 10.96 earlier this season. The Bulgarian was fourth in 11.18. This year’s American 200m champion Shalonda Solomon was fifth (11.19) with multiple Olympic medallist Sherone Simpson of Jamaica in sixth (11.33).
With her win, Baptiste is third (4 points) on the Diamond League 100m rankings behind Campbell-Brown and Carmelita Jeter of the USA, who are both in first on six points. The triumph comes with less than two months to go to the World Championships. Baptiste, who has been racing sparingly in the first half of this year, will be aiming to make her first finish in her third World Championships. She bowed out at the semifinal stage at the last edition of the meet in Berlin, Germany in August 2009.
The 2003 World Youth bronze medallist took her second French win of the week after winning in Reims on Tuesday in 11.11 seconds. T&T athletes have been enjoying racing in France as Keston Bledman was first in Sotteville in 10.25, a week ago. In the Men’s 200m, Rondel Sorillo was fifth in 20.81.
The two time national champion started on the outside lane was well behind World and Olympic Champion Usain Bolt. The Jamaican world record holder got to the line in 20.03. European champion Christophe Lemaitre of France was second in 20.21 with American Darvis Patton (20.59) and Mario Forsythe of Jamaica (20.61) all getting to the line ahead of Sorillo.
RESULTS
Women’s 100m (+0.6)
1 Kelly Baptiste T&T 10.91 (SB)
2 Veronica Campbell-Brown Jamaica 10.95
3 Kerron Stewart Jamaica 11.04
4 Ivet Lalova Bulgaria 11.18
5 Shalonda Solomon USA 11.19
6 Sherone Simpson Jamaica 11.33
7 Veronique Mang France 11.33
8 Myriam Soumare France 11.36
9 Lashaunatea Moore USA 11.89
Men’s 200
1 Usain Bolt Jamaica 20.03
2 Christoph Lemaitre France 20.21
3 Darvis Patton USA 20.59
4 Mario Forsythe Jamaica 20.61
5 Rondell Sorillo T&T 20.81
6 Teddy Tinmar France 21.15
7 Shawn Crawford USA 22.17
dns Alonso Edwards Panama
