Clarke wins, Bailey DQ'd in 100m semis

Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

There were mixed fortunes for Jamaica in the men's 100 metres. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lerone Clarke won the first of two semi-finals in 10.17 seconds, but Oshane Bailey was disqualified for false-starting in the second.

"The starter had us down for too long. I am very disappointed, as I am in the shape of my life," Bailey said.

Clarke was breathless after his run and said he was trying to slowly acclimatise to the conditions here.

"It's pretty good so far, I am trying to adjust to the altitude and everything. I am a little bit winded, even though I was not running very hard. I am just going to come out here tomorrow and have some fun to see how best I can do and hopefully be on the podium," he said after his comfortable win.

Second in semi-final one was the Dominican Republic's Jorge Rafael in 10.30, Colombia's Alvaro Gomes third in 10.40 and American Calesio Newman took fourth in 10.42.

Semi-final two was won in a Games record 10.00 by St Kitts and Nevis' Kim Collins, the recent World Championships bronze medallist. Collins lowered the 10.06 set way back in 1983 by Cuba's Leandro Penalver in Caracas, Venezuela. Collins won ahead of Trinidad and Tobago's Emannuel Callender, 10.17, André Nilson of Brazil, 10.23 and Cuba's David Lescy, 10.31.

Slipped into final

In the women's hammer throw, Jamaica's American-based Natalie Grant had just one legal distance, 57.73 metres and finished 13th of 14 throwers. The event was one in a Games record 75.62 metres by Cuba's Yipsi Moreno. Silver went to Canada's Sultana Frizell, 70.11m, and bronze to American Amber Campbell with 69.93. Moreno broke her own mark, 75.20m, set at the last Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In the women's 400 metres hurdles, Jamaica's Sheryl Morgan slipped into the final after placing fifth in her heat.