Walker loses again in Brazil

MARINGA, Brazil (CMC):

World and Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion, Melaine Walker, tasted defeat as Caribbean athletes struggled at the Grande Prêmio Caixa Maringá de Atletismo held on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Jamaican, who has been dominant in the event over the last two years, clocked a slow 55.96 seconds to finish second behind eventual winner, Muizat Ajoke Odumosu of Nigeria, who clocked 55.66 seconds.

Walker's compatriot, Nickiesha Wilson, finished third in a time of 56.47, with Trinidad and Tobago's Josanne Lucas fifth in 57 seconds.

The loss was Walker's second in the space of five days in the South American nation, after she finished third in a meet in Uberlndia last Wednesday, as World Championship bronze medallist Josanne Lucas conquered.

It has been a disappointing start to the season for Walker, who won gold at the Beijing Olympics in a record time of 52.64 seconds and repeated the feat at last year's World Championships in Berlin, when she clocked the second-fastest time in history.

Jamaican Dorian Scott gave the Caribbean their only gold medal when he captured the shot put with a throw of 20.07 metres.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist beat Sultan Alhabashi of Saudi Arabia (19.88 seconds) into second, while Russel Winger of the United States was third.

In the sprints, where they would have been favoured, the region again struggled to make an impact.

American Leroy Dixon clocked 10.13 seconds to win the 100m event, edging out Bahamian Derrick Atkins in a tight finish as Barbadian Andrew Hinds trailed in seventh.

Break the barrier

Dixon returned to also capture the 200 metres, in 20.65 seconds, with Trinidadian Emmanuel Callender (20.91) second, and Antiguan Brendan Christian (21.05), third.

In the women's 100 metres, American LaShauntea Moore was timed at 10.97 seconds, as she became the first woman to dip below 11 seconds on South American soil.

The third woman to break the barrier this year, Moore finished ahead of Tahesia Harrigan of the British Virgin Islands, who was second in a season-best 11.16, with Jamaican Simone Facey third in another season-best, 11.41.
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