media_artricles :: 2013

T&T’s Baptiste fourth in 100m

PARIS—Caribbean athletes posted world leading times and season’s best performances at the Areva Diamond League Meeting yesterday. Led by performances from Kirani James, Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Damar Forbes the regional athletes lit Paris with outstanding performances in their respective events. James, the World and Olympic 400 metres champion from Grenada, held off a challenge to win his event in a world leading time of 43.96. The 20 year-old Grenadian ran a controlled first 150M before accelerating ahead of American LaShawn Merritt to win and broke the 44-second barrier for the second time in his career.

Americans Tony McQuay (44.84) and David Verburg (44.97) and 37 year-old Christopher Brown of the Bahamas (45.24) completed the top five finishers. James won the Olympic title in London in 43.94, becoming the first person to run sub-44 since Merritt broke the mark in 2007 with his 43.96 in Osaka, Japan, and behind another American Jeremy Wariner’s 43.45. Bolt was made to work hard for a victory in the half-lap as compatriot Warren Weir stayed with him into the top bend before the world record-holder pulled away to win in a world leading and meet record of 19.73. Weir stayed below the 20-second barrier with 19.92 and Frenchman Christophe LeMaitre finished third in 20.07.

Jamaicans Jason Young (20.12, SB) and Nickel Ashmeade (20.21) completed the top five finishers.

Fraser-Pryce shrugged off the disappointment of Birmingham to edge Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria to win the Women’s 100 metres in a season’s best 10.92. She lost to the Nigerian over the 200m about a week ago but took the shorter distance to Okagbare’s 10.93. Murielle Ahoure of the Ivory Coast (11.01) pushed ahead of T&T’s national record holder Kelly-Ann Baptiste (11.10). American Aries Merritt emerged winner from a blanket finish in the Men’s 110m hurdles in a season’s best 13.09. Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France (13.12) and David Oliver of the United States (13.13) rounded up the top three. Andrew Riley of Jamaica improved on his 13.35 performance at Jamaica’s National Trials last month and Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados continues to rediscover his form which won him the 2009 world championship. CMC

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