Brilliant Broadbell highlights Velocity Fest
Published:Sunday | April 18, 2021 | 12:21 AMRaymond Graham - Sunday Gleaner Writer
After three weeks of inactivity, local track and field competition returned to the island yesterday, with the ninth staging of the Velocity Fest Track Meet inside the National Stadium, with MVP’s Rasheed Broadbell stealing the show with a blistering 13.15 seconds win in the men’s 110m hurdles event.
Broadwell’s performance, for a few moments, stood as the fastest time in the world so far this season until American Grant Halloway’s 13.07 seconds run at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational in Gainsville, Florida.
At the National Stadium, Ronald Levy, 13.43, and Orlando Bennett, 13.50, had to settle for a distant second and third, respectively, as Broadbell stamped his class on the event to cement his name to the mix ahead of what will be a fiery contest at the National Senior Championships, which will be used to help select Jamaica’s team to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Yesterday’s meet, which saw several members who were selected for Jamaica’s World Relays team in action, ended in an anticlimax in the men’s 100m where there were several false starts in two of the races, which caused the Racers duo of Oblique Seville and Miguel Francis, as well as Titans’ Yohan Blake, to walk away from the start of the event.
After three false starts in his event, former world record holder, Asafa Powell, won his heat in 10.48 seconds in a -2.5 metres per second win, to finish third overall.
Nigel Ellis of MVP won his heat and the overall event in 10.39 seconds ahead of Sprintec’s Brendon Rodney, 10.40, in a -2.0 metres per second wind.
Earlier, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson Herah looked quite relaxed in taking their events.
EASY WIN FOR FRASER-PRYCE
Competing in her second 200 metres of the season, Fraser-Pryce easily covered her rivals on the curve before cruising on the straight to an easy 22.66 seconds win to cross the line ahead of Stephenie-Ann McPherson, 22.90, with Hydel’s Briana Lyston finishing third overall in 23.29.
Lyston actually won her heat, as the former St Jago star exacted revenge on her former Edwin Allen rival, Tina Clayton, who was second in 23.30 seconds with sister Tia finishing down the track.
Thompson Herah had little difficulty in winning her heat in of the women’s 100 metres, clocking 11.21 seconds for the win, with World Relays-bound Remona Burchell, 11.35, and Natasha Morrison, 11.41, taking second and third.
Ronda Whyte and Shamirya Williams were impressive winners, with Whyte posting a personal best 51.28 seconds, to take home the women’s 400m, ahead of Candice McLeod, 51.56 (PB), and Roneisha McGregor, 52.06.
Williams posted a personal best of 13.02 seconds to win the women’s 100m hurdles.
Other track winners on the day included the outstanding Zharnel Hughes, who won the men’ s 200 metres in 20.14 seconds and Camperdown Class Two schoolboy, Roshain Clarke, who took the open men’s 400m hurdles in a record and personal best of 52.66 seconds. Jamoi Jackson won the men’s 400m in 46.47 seconds.
In the field events, Odayne Richards led the way with a heave of 19.15m to win the men’s shot put. Kai Chang was tops in the men’s discus event with a distance of 62.60m, while Shawn Thompson, 7.81m, surprised World champion Tajay Gayle, 7.78, to take the men’s long jump event.