Forsythe, Lloyd winin Belgium

HEUSDEN-ZOLDER, Belgium (CMC):

Jamaicans Mario Forsythe and Shereefa Lloyd gained confidence-boosting victories on Saturday at the Night of Athletics meet in Belgium.

The 24-year-old Forsythe ran a lifetime best 20.43 seconds to win the men's 200 metres, just a few steps ahead of American Xavier Carter with a time of 20.47 secs, and Jared Connaughton of Canada with 20.65.

Steve Mullings, another Jamaican, finished fourth in a time of 20.66.

The 27-year-old Lloyd, a bronze medal winner at the 2008 Olympic Games and silver medallist at the last two World Championships with the Jamaica 4x400 relay team, had a narrow victory in the women's 400.

Lloyd clocked 51.48 and pipped Moushaumi Robinson of the United States (51.49) on the line, with American Clora Williams a distant third in 52.72.

Jamaican Anastacia LeRoy ran 53.26 to finish fourth in the women's 400.

Elsewhere, Andrea Bliss of Jamaica clocked 13.23 for fourth in the women's 100 hurdles, which was won by American Damu Cherry in 12.67. And Zara Northover of Jamaica was measured at 16.10 metres in the women's shot put, which Melissa Boekelman of the Netherlands won with a distance of 17.96 metres.