The highlight of Racers’ performances on the second day of Jamaica’s National Championships was Yohan Blake’s big personal best 9.75 seconds (wind +1.1) leading a Racers one-two with Usain Bolt (9.86) in the men’s 100 metres. Blake’s time, run in lane 7, was a stadium record — beating the previous record of 9.76 set by Bolt in 2008. Twenty year-old Kemar Bailey-Cole stole the fifth position in a personal best 10.00, putting himself in line for a spot on the sprint relay team.
Earlier, Schillonie Calvert twice equalled her personal best 11.05 in taking fifth place in the women’s 100 (wind +0.6) — the identical time she had run in the previous round.
In the 400 metres hurdles, Josef Robertson made his place on the team to London a little more secure by placing second in 49.53. He already has the Olympic “A” standard. Bryan Steele finished eighth in 51.20.
Nickeisha Wilson also achieved the Olympic “A” standard by running 55.50 to take third place in the women’s version of the quarter-mile obstacle course. Just missing the train (or the plane) was Ristananna Tracey who came in fourth in 55.64 (season’s best).
In the field, Wilbert Walker topped the male triple jumpers with a 15.94 metre hop, step and jump.
On the third day (Saturday) Racers have six men into the semi-finals of the 200 metres: Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Kenroy Anderson, Warren Weir, Jason Young and Marvin Anderson.
