Russell and McPherson headlines Jamaican victories in Rieti,Italy

Photo: Carrie Russell (Getty Images)

2014 Commonwealth Games Champion Stephanie-Ann McPherson and Moscow relay gold medalist Carrie Russell were among the winners at Sunday’s IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rieti, Italy. Former World record holder Asafa Powell was also in the winner’s enclosure.

McPherson made light work of the women’s 400m field as she led home her fellow country woman Commonwealth 400m bronze medalist Christine Day in 50.38s. Day crossed the line in a time of 51.08s. The Ukrainian athlete Olha Zemlyak came through for third in 51.26 seconds.

Russell took care of the women’s 100 field, winning in a season’s best time of 11.10 seconds. She was trailed home by American Jessica Young was ran a personal best 11.13 seconds, and Bulgarian Ivet Lalova was third in 11.29 seconds.

Powell the meet record holder for the 100m with 9.74s, registered another sub ten clocking winning his heat in 9.90 seconds. In the second heat of the men’s American Justin Gatlin rounded out a fine season to win that heat in 9.83 seconds to remain undefeated in all of his 18 races he ran in 2014 and in the process becoming the first male sprinter to go through an entire season unbeaten since Usain Bolt in 2009.

Nesta Carter ran 10.07 seconds to finish second to Gatlin, while the other Jamaican entrants in Jacques Harvey was fourth in that heat in 10.17 seconds and Commowealth 200m Gold medalist Rasheed Dwyer was sixth in 10.21 seconds.

Edino Steele time of 32.72s was only good enough for sixth in the men’s 300m event while his compatriot and former record holder of the 300m event Rusheen Mcdonald was a no show for the event.