Photo: Megan Simmonds celebrates winning the Women’s 100m hurdles to claim her first National title on Sunday’s final day of the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Athletics Championships.
As the curtains came down on the 2016 staging of the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Athletics Championships, there was mix feelings of joy and disappointments coming from different circles on Sunday’s final day.
There were nine scheduled finals for the championship final day. Action got going at 5:00 with action from the women’s Javelin and High Jump Finals.
University of Kansas athlete Kimberly Williamson won the High Jump with a leap of 1.86m to edge Saniél Atkinson-Grier 1.83m and Tamoya Walters third with 1.70m.
The Women’s Javelin Throw Finals went to Kateema Riettie (49.89m), ahead of national record holder Olivia McKoy (47.29m) and 2016 Intercollegiate champion Olivia Leckford third with 47.19m
World Championship bronze medallist O’Dayne Richards produced a season’s best effort of 20.82m to defend his national title and solidify his place to his first Olympic Games. Ashinia Miller 19.21m and Warren Barrett Jr 17.73m had to settle for second and third respectively.
While everything was going according to script in the field, there were a few shocking and surprising moments as the meet drew nearer its climax.
The top three spots in the Women’s 400m was a tight battle between the golden girls, where Stephenie-Ann Mcpherson prevailed, crossing the line first in 50.04 seconds.
The defending champion from 2015 Christine Day was second best on this occasion in 50.29 seconds ahead of World Championship bronze medallist Shericka Jackson 50.42 seconds.
The veteran and pilot to the gold medal in Beijing, Novlene Williams-Mills was hard pressed right through and eventually faded to fourth in 50.64 seconds and closing out the top five was Anniesha Mclaughin-Whilby who came away with another personal best effort of 51.03 seconds.
Javon Francis proved too strong for his opposition in the Men’s equivalent, powering away down the home stretch to win in 44.95 seconds ahead of Fitzroy Dunkley 45.35 seconds and Nathon Allen closing in fast to grab third in 45.52 seconds. National record holder Rusheen McDonald was fourth best in 45.61 seconds
The women’s 200m final was won by Simone Facey won in 22.65, ahead of two-time Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, 22.86 and Kali Davis Whyte 22.94 seconds.
The final was contested with just six athletes as the MVP pair of 100m winner Elaine Thompson and Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce were both absent from the start and is believed to have made submitted medical exemptions to the governing body.
Yohan Blake copped his second national double sprint titles of his career, after winning the mens final in 20.29 seconds. It was blanket finish for second with Nickel Ashmeade 20.45 seconds clocking the same time as Julian Forte, who was adjudged third in the race. Defending Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir 20.50 seconds had to settle for fourth spot.
Disaster struck in the final track event on the day as the reigning World Champion and top ranked sprint hurdler for 2016 Danielle Williams, finishing at the back of the field.
Williams hit hurdle number six and didn’t recover from there on, eventually cross the line in 33.69 seconds.
The event went to an overjoyed and jubilant Megan Simmonds in a new personal best time of 12.79 seconds ahead of Shermaine Williams 12.90 and Nickesha Wilson copping third in 12.97 seconds.
There is now a buzz of questions and anxiously awaited answers as it regards the selection process and what will the final team selected to meet the July 18, submission date for the Olympics.
Four top athletes have reportedly submitted medical exemption certificates due to their non-participation or inability to continue to participate, including is the defending triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt.
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