Top athletes sends early signal in 60m races

Photo: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce wins the 60m in 7.08s at the Queens/Grace Jackson Championship at the National Stadium in Kingston Jamaica.

Right across the track arena the top internationasl sent strong early season warnings of their intentions for the 2015 track season.

Most impressive amongst the males who took the track this past weekend was the ever burning, Caribbean athlete, former world outdoor champion Kim Collins who improved on the 6.52 seconds done on Dusseldorf indoor meet on Thursday, by winning the men’s 60m in a world-leading time of 6.48 seconds at the Russian Winter Indoor Meet yesterday. He managed to turn back rivals American Mike Rodgers 6.56sec , and Yunier Perez of Cuba came third, 7.01sec.

Jamaica’s World Championship Medalist , and MVP athlete Nest Carter made his statement as well as he sped to,6.52 seconds, to get the better of fellow local athletes Kimmarly Brown (6.58) and Julian Forte (6.59).

Cuban Athlete Akeem Haynes also ran a blistering 6.51 in an indoor 60-metre race Saturday in Arizona. It’s the fastest time by a Canadian since 1997.

On the women’s side it was the brilliant Ivorian and World Indoor Championship 60-metre silver medalist Murielle Ahoure ran a world-leading 7.08s in the Women’s 60-metre dash, at the Howie Ryan Invitational, held at the University of Houston in Texas. Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye who was second in 7.16s with St Vincent Kineke Alexander third in 7.40s. Jamaica’s quarter miler Patricia Hall, tested herself at the short sprint, but had to settle for fifth in 7.48s.

The reigning World indoor 60m champion, Shelly Ann Fraser- Pryce took to the track in the said distance despite it being outdoors and with limited training done for the past two weeks, easily turn back her challengers to secure victory in her first race for the season. She ‘bulleted’ from the blocks to cross the finish line in 7.1sec ahead of teammate Elaine Thompson in 7.32. The University of Technology’s prodigy Chanice Bonner took third in 7.38.

Elsewhere, Ukraine’s Olesya Povkh won the women’s 60m in 7.27sec, 0.1 sec faster than second-placed Kristina Sivkova of Russia. Yekaterina Gonchar of Belarus was third with a time of 7.42sec at the Russian Winter Indoor Meet.

At the Karlsruhe Indoor meet on Sunday Great Britain’s Dina Asher Smith Copped the Women’s 60m title in a fast 7.12 second after Nederland’s star athlete Dafne Schippers was disqualified. America’s Jessica Young ran 7.18s for second spot, with Germany’s Verena Sailer securing third spot in 7.22s. Jamaica’s Aleen Bailey who also faced the starter, finishing fifth in 7.27s.