Photo: Omar McLeod and Fedrick Dacres both achieved personal bests in the 100m and discus respectively, on Saturday
It was a good outing for Jamaica’s upcoming stars, at various meets across the United States of America on Saturday. New world leads and personal bests were the order of the day for the athletes as they continue their build up to the Rio Olympic Games later this summer.
The 2016 World Indoor 60m Hurdles champion, Omar McLeod blazed to a new personal best time of 9.99 secs ( +2.0) to win the men’s 100m at the John McDonnell Invitational a day before his 24th birthday shaving off over a second off his previous best which was 11.02s, done in 2011.McLeod’s time ranks him second as a Jamaican sprinter behind Yohan Blake 9.95 seconds and fifth overall in the IAAF World rankings for 2016. The former Kingston College athlete became the first man to run sub-10 in the 100m and and sub-13 in the 110m hurdles.
He was trailed home by Markesh Woodson Missouri 10.13 seconds and John Teeters Oklahoma State 10.16 seconds. Veteran American sprinter Wallace Spearman running unattached finished fourth in 10.18 seconds.
A jubilant McLeod wrote on social media moments after his brilliant run, “Guys I just ran a wind legal 9.99!!! What the heck!!. No limits, no boundaries.”
Fedrick Dacres continued his impressive week in the Discus ring, coming away with a new personal best and world leading throw of 68.02 m to win at the Triton Invitational 2016. His Jamaican teammates, Traves Smikle 63.10 meters and Chad Wright 62.18 meters finished sixth and seventh, respectively.
On Thursday the World Championship finalist threw a then season of best of 65.94 metres to win in Chula Vista Meet, California and moved to fourth best in the world this year.
His mark on Saturday propelled him to the top of the list ahead of Sam Mattis (USA) 67.45m, Daniel Stahl (Sweden) 66.74m and Rodney Brown (USA) 66.00m.. University of Nebraska star, Chad Wright, was eighth with a season-best 61.94s and Traves Smikle of the University of the West Indies, was 10th with a mark of 57.93m at the Chula Vista Meet.
National 400m representative Chris Ann Gordon competing for the University of Texas was second a new personal best of 51:03 seconds at Louisiana State’s Alumni Gold meet. She moved to sixth on the IAAF ranking for 2016 and the fastest Jamaican over that distance.
Her University of Texas teammate and USA Junior star Courtney Okolo smashed her own women’s collegiate 400m record today in an astounding 49.71-second.s The Texas senior’s new personal best is the second-fastest time in the world so far this year.
At that meet National Junior sprint hurdles record holder Daeshon Gordon ran 12.99 seconds for fourth. The event was won by Canadian Phyilicia George in 12.67 seconds.
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