Anderson, Taylor win at Millrose
Published:Sunday | January 30, 2022 | 12:13 AMGleaner Writer
Raymond Graham
TOKYO OLYMPIC Games finalist Britany Anderson and Christopher Taylor picked up wins for Jamaica at yesterday’s 114th Millrose Games at the Armory Track in New York, an event that doubled as the second leg of the World Indoor Gold Tour Meeting.
Two other Jamaican Olympians in Natoya Goule and Tovea Jenkins also had top three finishes at the meet.
But it was the 21-year-old Anderson who picked up the first win on the night for Jamaica, the 2017 World Under-17 champion and 2018 World Under-20 silver medallist, who was an unlucky eighth-place finisher in the Women’s 100-metre hurdles finals in Tokyo after encountering several problems in the race, was in fantastic form. Anderson’s form was so good that she produced a personal best, 7.91 seconds, to win the Women’s 60m hurdles.
Anderson turned back several of the athletes who finished ahead of her in Tokyo, including silver medallist and world record holder Kendra Harrison of the United States. Harrison is also the world leader in the event with 7.81 seconds.
Harrison had to settle for fourth in 8.00 seconds, as Devynn Charlton of the Bahamas was second in a season best 7.95 seconds, with the United States, Tonea Marshall, third in 7.99 seconds.
Anderson top-of-the-podium performance made it two from two for Jamaica in the World Indoor Gold Tour Meeting, as 2015 World Outdoor 100m-hurdle champion Danielle Williams won the event at the first meet in Karlsruhe, Germany, after clocking 7.84 seconds for the second-fastest time over the event so far this season .
Taylor, a finalist in the Men’s 400m in Tokyo, and who like Anderson is based at the Tumbleweed Track Club in Orlando, Florida, looked good in winning the Men’s 400m in 46.38 seconds.
Drawn in the outside lane, Taylor led from start to finish to stave off the fast-finishing Vernon Norwood of the United States. Norwood finished second in 46.45 seconds as his countryman, Donovan Brazier ended third in 46.55 seconds.
Olympic Games 800m finalist Goule was the next best Jamaican to finish at the meet after her second place in the Women’s 800 in 2:02.14 seconds as the United States’ Ajee Wilson stopped the clock at 2:01.38 seconds.
JENKINS THIRD IN 400M
Jenkins closed out a top-three finish for Jamaica at the meet after finishing third in the Women’s 400m in 54.14 seconds. Her Olympic Games teammate Roneisha MacGregor was fourth in 54.24 seconds while Wadeline Jonathas of the United States won in 52.51 seconds, ahead of her teammate, Jessica Beard, 52.95 seconds.
Both Briana Williams and Omar McLeod finished out of the top three in their events.
Williams, a relay gold medallist in Tokyo, was fourth in the Women’s 60 metres in 7.22 seconds. The United States’ Aleah Hobbs won in 7.11 seconds, ahead of Mikiah Brisco 7.15 seconds and 16-year-old schoolgirl Shawnti Jackson, daughter of Olympian 400-metre hurdler, Bershawn Jackson, who was third in a high-school record and personal best 7.18 seconds.
McLeod could only manage sixth in the Men’s 60 metres in 6.70 second. The United States’ Christian Coleman, in his first race after suspension from a whereabouts violation, won a close event in 6.49 seconds as Trayvon Bromell, 6.50, and Ronnie Baker, 6.54 seconds, took second and third.
The highlight of the meet saw a world record by Olympic champion and world outdoor record holder in the Men’s Shot Put, Ryan Crouser, who produced 23.38 metres.