Gonzales shatters national record

Jermaine Gonzales shattered the Jamaican 400-metre national record on his way to win the event at the Monaco Diamond League in France today.



Gonzales clocked 44.40 seconds, which is also the fastest time in the world this year, beating fellow Jamaican Ricardo Chambers, who ran a personal-best 44.54 and Christopher Brown of the Bahamas.



He beat the previous season best of 44.49 set by American Jeremy Wariner in Paris, where the Jamaican had to be content with second place.



The previous national record of 44.49 was set by Roxbert Martin in 1997.



Later in the day, Jamaican sprint queen Veronica Campbell-Brown had to settle for second place in one of the headline clashes at the meet.



Campbell-Brown, clocked 10.89 seconds, but was well beaten by American Carmelita Jeter, who improved her personal best this season to win in 10.82 seconds.



Sherone Simpson, the Beijing Olympic Games 100-metre silver medallist, was fourth in 11.03 and Carrie Russell, the third Jamaican in the line up was eighth in 11.22.



Campbell-Brown was returning to competition for the first time since the Eugene, Oregon meet on July 3, where she set the fastest time this year in 10.78 ahead of third-placed Jeter.



There was another victory for Jamaica at the meet as Kaliese Spencer, won the women’s 400 metres in 53.63.



In the men’s 200 metres, the fast-rising Jamaican star Yohan Blake clocked a personal-best 19.78 for second place, beaten by American Tyson Gay, who stopped the clock in a meet record of 19.72.



The Diamond League series takes a two-week break.