Thompson wins 200 to complete sprint double

KINGSTON: Elaine Thompson won the 200m in a world leading 22.00sec Sunday to complete a sprint double at the Jamaican Athletics Championships as she continues her return from an injury marred 2018.

Shericka Jackson also shone on the final day of the championships, the qualifying meet for the IAAF World Championships starting in Doha on September 27. Jackson won the 400m in the year’s second-best time.

Thompson showed off her superb top end speed in the 200m final as she bested training partner Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce for the second time this weekend. Thompson had edged Fraser-Pryce for 100m gold after both were credited with the same time -- a world-leading 10.73sec.

On Sunday Fraser-Pryce got the better start and led off the curve but Thompson caught her and eased away to win as Fraser-Pryce took second in 22.22 with Schillonie Calvert-Powell third in 22.92. Yohan Blake, the 100m champion, was caught and passed on the line in the 200m final by Rasheed Dwyer who won in 20.23 seconds.

Blake was second in 20.27and Andre Ewers was third in 20.48. Commonwealth Games champion Ronald Levy won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.23 seconds (1.5m/s) getting to the line just before Orlando Bennett, who ran a life time best 13.27 seconds with 2014 Commonwealth champion Andrew Riley third in 13.33.

Jackson ran a personal best 49.78sec to win the women’s 400m, beating her previous best of 49.83 set in the 2016 Olympic final.

Defending champion Stephenie-Ann McPherson led the race early but Jackson caught the leaders at the top of the home stretch and powered away for a fine win ahead of Anastasia Leroy and McPherson. Demish Gaye won his first national title in the men’s 400m in 44.83, with Terry Thomas second and Javon Francis third. Shanieka Ricketts retained her women’s triple jump title with a mark of 14.73m set in the first round. Commonwealth Games champion Kimberly Williams was second with 14.63m with US collegiate champion Shardia Lawrence third with 13.83m.

O’Dayne Richards defended his men’s shot put title with a throw of 19.93m. The meeting ended on an anti-climactic note as the women’s 100m hurdles final that included the current world leader Janeek Brown was voided. Danielle Williams, the 2015 World Champion, was disqualified for a false start.

A second attempt to start the race resulted in confusion when the recall gun was fired twice but at least two athletes, including Brown, ran the entire race. An initial announcement said the final would be rerun after the men’s hurdles final, but organizers later said three of the finalists were injured, so it was not clear who will be selected to run the event at Doha.