Jamaicans sizzle in Berlin

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's senior athletes were in top form at the ISTAF World Challenge meet in Berlin, Germany, yesterday, as they registered three impressive wins through Nesta Carter, Sherone Simpson and Jermaine Gonzales.

The meet was highlighted by a world record by Kenya's David Rudisha in the men's 800 metre and the winning return of World Championships 800-metre gold medallist Caster Semenya .

Fresh off his impressive career best of 9.86 seconds two weeks ago, Carter, who has been very low-keyed this season, returned to clock another sub-10 time, as he stopped the clock at respectable 9.96 seconds to register an easy win over countryman, Mario Forsythe, who was second in 10.11 seconds and Trinidad and Tobago's Richard Thompson, 10.18.

It was a sprint double for MVP athletes as Carter's teammate Simpson the joint Olympic 100 metre silver medallist, returned to good form following her fifth place finish a few days days earlier at the Zurich Diamond League meet. Simpson got the better of Trinidad and Tobago's Kellyann Baptiste in the women's 100 metres, as she captured the event in 11.09 seconds with the Trinidadian clocking 11.14 seconds for the runner-up spot. The Bahamas' vete-ran Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie finished fifth in 11.29 seconds, while Jamaica's Schillone Calvert conti-nued to find the going tough overseas as she was eight in 11.51 seconds.

National 400 metre record holder Gonzales gave the country its third success of the meet as he returned to winning ways in the men's 400 metre. Following his second place finish a few days earlier to new world leader Jeremy Wariner of the United States, Gonzales, the former world leader in the event, blew away the field to score a resounding win, once again going under 45 seconds, winning in 44.90 seconds to easily defeated Nery Brenes of Costa Rica into second place in 45.47 seconds.

Kaliese spencer

Diamond League 400 metre hurdles champion Kaliese Spencer also had a good result when, after reverting to the flat 400 metre event, she forced the United States' Debbie Dunn, the World Indoor champion, to dig extra deep to pull out a win as the American clocked 50.56 seconds to just outlast the Jamaican, who finished second in a close 50.64 seconds. Olympic and World championships silver medallist Shericka Williams had to settle for third in 50.85 seconds.

Jamaica's other competitor at the meet, Delloreen Ennis-London had to settle for seventh in the women's 100 metre hurdles in a pedestrian 13.07 seconds as world leader in the event, Priscilla Lopez-Schliep of Canada continued her amazing run this season, winning in 12.57 seconds, ahead of countrywoman Perdita Felecian who was second in 12.71 seconds.

After his disappointment at the World Championships last year where he failed to make the final of the men's 800 metre, world leader Kenya's David Rudisha returned to the same venue in style as he broke the 13-year-old world record of 1:41.51 seconds set by Denmark's Wilson Kipketer in Cologne, Germany with a new mark of 1:41.51 seconds. It was 1-2-3 for Kenya in the event as Boaz Latong, 1:44.34, and team-mate Abraham Kiplagat, 1:44.49, finished second and third respectively.

It was also a grand return for female World Championships Gold medallist Semenya of South Africa, as competing in her first major meet since her gold medal run a year ago the South African returned to the same venue to score a good win in 1:59.90 as Kenya's Cherono Koech was second in 2:00.40.