AFP, Kingston :
Elaine Thompson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce lit up the Jamaican National Championships on Friday as they tied for first place in the women’s 100m final with a time of 10.73 seconds.
The sprint event lived up expectations as the women, who combine for eight World Championships and Olympic individual gold medals, put on a show crossing the line together with Briana Williams in third in 10.94 seconds.
Williams, who turned 17 in March, dipped under the 11.00 seconds barrier for the first time with a new national junior record.
An emotional Thompson said afterwards she was grateful to be able to rebound after a tough 2018 when she battled a series of injuries.
Yohan Blake won the men’s 100m in a season’s best 9.96 seconds holding off the challenge of Tyquendo Tracey (10.00 seconds). Rasheed Dwyer equalled his personal best of 10.10 to place third.
Rushell Clayton scored a massive upset, winning the women’s 400m hurdles in a career best time of 54.73 seconds.
Clayton, who led the qualifying from Thursday, took over the lead after the seventh hurdle and held her poise to beat a strong field that saw Shiann Salmon taking second in 55.39 seconds.
Commonwealth Games champion and the pre-championship favourite Janieve Russell was fourth in 55.57 seconds.
World Championships finalist Kemar Mowatt, a former NCAA champion at Arkansas, won his first national title when he clocked 48.70 seconds to win the men’s 400m hurdles, holding off and improving Romel Lewis.
Christine Day ran a season’s best 51.47 seconds to lead the qualifiers for the semi-finals of the women’s 400m.
Tissanna Hickling, who had achieved the qualifying mark for the IAAF world Championships earlier this year, won the women’s long jump with a 6.78m leap.
Three US collegians took the top places in the women’s discs throw with Shadae Lawrence winning with a toss of 61.41m.
Shanice Love of Florida State was second with 59.05m and Samantha Hall of University of Texas El Paso third with 57.27m.
