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Men's 100m hot, hot

Published:Friday | June 24, 2011 | 12:00 AM
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Yohan Blake (left) powering home late to finish ahead of Michael Frater (right) during the quarter-finals of the men's 100m at the JAAA/SVL National Senior Championships inside the National Stadium last night. Blake won in a wind-aided 9.83 seconds with Frater second in 9.86. Oshane Bailey (centre) was fourth in 10.11. - Ricardo Makyn/staff photographer
Asafa Powell (centre) is comfortable en route to victory during the quarter-finals of the men's 100m at the JAAA/SVL National Senior Championships inside the National Stadium last night. Powell won in a wind-aided 9.96 seconds. Kenroy Anderson (right) finished third in 10.15, while Ainsley Waugh (left) was fourth in 10.23.
National record holder Jermaine Gonzales winning his men's 400 metres heat in 46.61 seconds at yesterday's first day of the JAAA/Supreme Ventures Limited National Senior Championships.
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André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Five of the 11 fastest men on the planet so far this year are expected to lock horns under lights later this evening inside the National Stadium, with a space on Jamaica's 100m team to the IAAF World Championships in Athletics on the line.

The men's 100m, scheduled for 9:25 p.m., is certainly one of the most highly anticipated events on today's second day of action at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures Limited National Senior Champ-ionships.

In the absence of Olympic and defending world champion Usain Bolt - who has an automatic entry at the August 27-September 4 IAAF World Championships, US-based Steve Mullings will face the starter as the joint favourite along with former 100m record holder and 2009 Berlin World Championships bronze medallist Asafa Powell.

Mullings, 9.80 seconds, who trains with American record holder Tyson Gay, is the second-fastest in the world so far this year behind Gay, 9.79 seconds, with the inactive Bolt, 9.91, Nesta Carter, 9.92, Powell, 9.93, Michael Frater, 9.94, and Yohan Blake, 9.95, rounding out the top six Jamaicans.

On current form alone, it is hard to look beyond the resurgent Mullings, who in his last race got the better of Gay in testing conditions at the Adidas Grand Prix IAAF Diamond League meet a couple weeks ago.

Nothing is certain

However, nothing is certain, and there will be no shortage of pedigree in the other lanes. Powell, a two-time World Championships bronze medallist, on a good day is the standout athlete in this field, but nothing seems to be certain with the MVP star these days.

Powell looked extremely impressive in last night's quarter-finals, jogging to a 9.96 clocking, but he was, however, aided by the plus 2.7 wind while Dexter Lee ran second in 10.09. Journeyman Michael Frater is always a threat and he showed his class once again with an easy wind-aided (+3.7) 9.86 seconds clocking in his quarter-final, pushing the winner Blake, who recovered in the last 30 metres to register a 9.85 seconds clocking with Commonwealth Games champion Lerone Clarke running third in 9.99. Incidentally, defending national champion Oshane Bailey had to settle for fourth in 10.11 seconds but should qualify for the next round.

Carter won his race in 10.06 ahead of Jacques Harvey, 10.12, while Mullings was also in good shape in his race, wining easily in 10.13 seconds.

Earlier, national record holder Jermaine Gonzales, 45.61, is safely through to the men's 400m semi-finals which get under way at 7:25 p.m. He, however, had to work a bit harder than he intended, after he barely got the better of Lansford Spence, 45.82. Leford Green, 46.04, Allodin Fothergill, 45.98, and Oral Thompson, 45.63, are also all safely through to the next round.

Kaliese Spencer enters tomorrow's semi-final, scheduled for 7:15 p.m., with the fastest time after she ran a season's best 50.86 seconds to win her heat ahead of Davita Prendergast, 51.47 seconds. However, it was Olympic finalist Rosemarie Whyte who was most impressive in qualifying, running a smooth yet commanding 51.98 seconds in her heat, ahead of Natoya Goule, 52.23, and Patricia Hall, 52.48.

The other heat was won comfortably by Jamaican leader Novlene Williams-Mills, 52.07, who held off Berlin silver medallist Shericka Williams, 52.48, and Verone Chambers, 53.30.

In other results last night, Danny McFarlane, 49.59 seconds, remains on course for yet another national title after he posted the fastest time among the qualifiers in the men's 400m hurdles. His main threat seems sure to come from the former Kingston College man Leford Green, who was extremely relaxed while winning his heat in 50.15 seconds. Isa Phillips, 49.70, will also line up in today's final at 8:30 p.m. The women will contest the straight final tonight at 8:20, after the first round was scrapped because of low entries.