Usain Bolt showed that he is indeed rounding back into good form with another dominating 200-metres performance at the Meeting Areva – IAAF Diamond League Meeting – in Paris Saint-Denis, France.

The Jamaican World and Olympic champion clocked 20.03 seconds – easing down distance before the finish line and just missed Michael Johnson’s meet record of 20.01. Christophe Lemaitre of France was second in 20.21secs for second place. Bolt leads the world with 19.86.

In an exciting women’s 100m, Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly Ann Baptiste got the better of Jamaica’s Veronica Campbell-Brown to win in 10.91 seconds and sound her own warning ahead of the World Championships.

A wayward looking Campbell-Brown, especially in the closing metres, was second in 10.95 and Kerron Stewart, also of Jamaica, was third in 11.04. Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria was fourth in 11.18.

In the men’s 400m dash former Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner was well beaten back into fourth place and looked out-of-sort in doing so as well.

Bahamas’ Chris Brown ran 44.94secs to beat Belgium’s Jonathan Borlée, who ran 45.05 and the late surging Jamaican, Jermaine Gonzales, who went by Wariner to take third in 45.43.

The American who has the meeting record of 43.86secs, was fourth in 45.50.

Zuzana Hejnova used a last drive over the final barrier to set a new world-leading time of 53.29 on her way to winning the women’s 400m hurdles. She came home ahead of Jamaica’s Kaliese Spencer, who equalled her 2011 beat of 53.45 for second place. Hejnova time was also a national record for Czech Republic.

Antyukh Natalya of Russia was third in 54.41, while Jamaica’s world and Olympic champion Melaine Walker was fifth in 55.06.

World champion Caster Semenya of South Africa won the women’s 800m in a comfortable 2:00.18 ahead of Morocco’s Halima Hachlaf (2:00.60) and Jennifer Meadows (2:00.74). Amine Laalou of Morocco took the men’s 1500m in 3:32.06. American Bernard Lagat was 15th in 3:26.34.

World record holder Dayron Robles nipped American David Oliver for the men’s 110m hurdles crown – with both runners clocking 13.09. Jamaica’s Dwight Thomas was third in 13.18.

In other action on the track, Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar sprinted away from her closest challengers to win the women’s 5000m in 14:29.52, at time which is a world-best mark for 2011, while France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad set a personal best of 8:02.09 to take the men’s 3000m Steeplechase.

Cuba’s Yargelis Savigne produced a world-leading effort of 14.99m in the fourth round to win the women’s Triple Jump competition. Olha Saladukha Ukraine was second with 14.81m.

In the men’s Long Jump Panama’s Irving Saladino leaped a season’s best of 8.40m to take the event over Great Britain’s Christopher Tomlinson, who produced a national record of 8.35m.

Elsewhere in the field, Germany’s Christina Obergföll had a world leading 68.01m effort to win the women’s Javelin Throw, New Zealand’s Valerie Adams enjoyed success in the women’s Shot Put with a meet record equalling effort of 20.78m, with Belarusian world-leader Nadezhda Ostapchuk taking second with 20.49m.

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JAMAICA’S 19-year-old middle-distance sensation Natoya Goule, a South Plains College freshman, broke the third national record in the NJCAA last Friday when she posted 2:44.73 in the 1,000 metres at the Texas Tech Quad Meet in Lubbock.

Goule, in her usual style, took the lead early and never let up, winning by almost 11 seconds. The Manchester High past student broke countrywoman Inez Turner 20-year-old mark by 4.47 seconds.

She added the NJCAA 400 metre record on February 5 when she clocked 53.27 seconds, and the 600 yards on January 21 in a personal best 1:18.82 on an oversized track.

A member of last year’s World Junior Championships 4x400m bronze relay team, Goule hopes to make her mark at the NJCAA Indoor Championship on March 4 at Texas Tech University.

Meanwhile, Dane Hyatt of Lincoln University in Missouri ran a season-best 47.46 seconds in the 400 metres to secure a berth in the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, from March 11-12.

Hyatt was competing at the Nebraska Tune-Up meet in Lincoln, Nebraska, last weekend which he won and will join compatriots Roxroy Cato also of Lincoln, and Leford Green and Akino Ming of Johnson C Smith Unviversity.

Other Jamaicans competing at the Nebraska Tune-Up was Nicholas Gordon of the University of Nebraska, who won the long jump with a mark of 7.75 metres on his first jump.

Chad Wright, also of the University of Nebraska, was third in the shot put with a throw of 17.60 metres, after his Huskers teammates Americans Luke Pinkelman, 19.43 and Tyler Hitchler, 18.42.

Edwin Allen past student Gayon Evans of Oklahoma Baptist University equalled her personal best 7.33 seconds in the 60 metres to stay atop the field in NAIA.

The 21-year-old Evans, a member of the 2007 World Youth Championships silver medal medley relay team and the 2008 World Junior Championships 4x100m silver medal quartet, also ran a personal best 23.98 seconds in the 200m.

She beat countrywoman Verone Chambers, also an Edwin Allen past sudent, who clocked a personal best 24.05 seconds.

Both will be on show at the NAIA Indoor Track Championships on March 3-5 in Ohio.

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National representatives Oshane Bailey and Shereefa Lloyd were among nine record breakers at the Camperdown Classic at the Usain Bolt Track at the University of the West Indies yesterday.

Bailey of Akan Track Club clocked 10.47 seconds to win the Open men’s 100m, smashing the old mark of 10.61 set by former world champion Kim Collins in 2005.

Bailey won ahead of Kemar Bailey Cole of Racers in 10.56 and Anthony Drysdale, 10.95.

World championship bronze medallist Lloyd clocked 53.17 seconds to win the women’s 400m Open, erasing the 55.01 set by Jenice Daley in 2008.

Lloyd finished ahead of Davita Prendergast in 54.56 and Schillonie Calvert, 54.91.

Vere Technical’s Shericka Jackson clocked 12.09 seconds in the Class Two Girls 100 metres to lower the previous mark of 12.15 by Immaculate’s Samantha Elliott in 2008.

Melissa Williams of St Jago posted 12.18 for second ahead of Chanice Bonner of Queen’s, 12.44.

Jamaica College (JC) posted a record 44.67 seconds to win the Class Three Boys 4x100m, breaking their own mark of 44.68 set two years ago.

Calabar finished second in 45.19 and JC Striders in 45.82.

St Andrew and Excelsior both clocked 49.47 seconds to claim the Class Four Girls 4x100m, smashing the old mark of 49.49 set by St Jago last year.

Camperdown were third in 50.46 seconds.

Chantal Duncan of Vere clocked 2:15.92 in the Class One Girls 800m, breaking the 2:19.20 set by C Cousins of Immaculate in 2007.

Lavaughn Palmer of GC Foster, 2:16.66, finished second, while Rushell Clayton of Vere, 2:18.66, was third.

St Jago’s Shevel McDonald clocked 2:15.46 to smash the 2:17.05 time set by Neisha Morgan of Manchester High in 2006 in the Class Two Girls 800.

Taska Johnson and Olivia James, both of Vere, were second and third — Johnson in 2:16.23 and James in 2:20.22.

In the field, Kemarki Absolam’s 2.10m was a record in the Class One boys high jump, bettering the 2.00m posted by Calabar’s Andrew Riley in 2008.

Chanice Porter cleared a record 1.80 metres to win the Class Two Girls high jump ahead Krista-Gaye Taylor of Alpha and Chenell Palmer of Vere with 1.70m each.

Meanwhile, Kevean Smith of JC posted a blistering 10.63 seconds to win the Class One Boys 100 ahead of Bernardo Brady of Camperdown in 10.84 and Nicholas Griffiths of St George’s, 10.95.

Ashley Stephens captured the Class Three Girls 100m in 12.48 ahead of Janeal Brown of Manchester, 12.80, and Renee Smith of Alpha, 12.81.

Rushell Burton of St Andrew secured the Class Four event in 12.67 ahead of Jody Ann Petrie of Excelsior, 12.76, and Randese Ennis of Camperdown, 13.05.

Racers had a one-two-three in the Men’s 400m Open as Edino Steele posted 46.16 with Mario Forsythe second in 46.90 and Yohan Blake third in 47.01.

Shanice Clarke of Vere won the Class Three Girls 800m in a time of 2:19.84 ahead of Shanieke Watson of Holmwood in 2:20.10 and Roshae Burrell of St Jago in 2:20.83.

The boys equivalent went to Dirk Williamson of JC in 2:06.09 followed by Ryan Holmes (2:06.39) of Edwin Allen and Calabar A’s Malcolm Campbell (2:06.84).

Kendon Guy of St George’s claimed the Class One Boys event in 1:56.90 ahead of Shavon Barnes of Camperdown (1:57.34) and Waquar Dacosta of JC (1:57.86).

In Class Two, Calabar’s Jorel Bellafonte claimed the top spot in 1:58.45, with Robert Thomas of Monk Street boys second in 2:00.64 and Romaine Headman of JC in 2:00.94.

The Class One Girls 4x100m went to Holmwood in 46.67 seconds ahead of St Jago 47.81 and The Queen’s in 49.32.

St George’s won the boys equivalent in 41.62 with Calabar second in 41.63 and Monk Street boys third in 42.09.

St Jago was victorious in Class Two in 48.14 ahead of Queen’s in 48.36 and St Andrew in 48.49.

Calabar captured the boys equivalent in 42.83 as St Jago finished second in 43.00 and JC Striders third in 43.49.

The Class Three Girls sprint relay was won by Camperdown in 48.54 ahead of Holmwood, 48.95, and St Jago, 49.13.

The Class Four Boys race was won by Calabar in 47.28 ahead of JC, 47.70, and Camperdown, 48.82.

Vere’s Marsielle McBean cleared 1.65m to win the Class One Girls high jump ahead of Kimberley Golding of Alpha and Jami-Lee Gordon of Manchester tied for second with heights of 1.55m each.

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JAMAICAN sprint hurdler Keiron Stewart of the University of Texas, Austin, clocked a personal best 7.68 seconds to become the first qualifier in the 60-metre hurdles at next month’s NCAA Division One Indoor Championships at College Station, Texas.

The 21-year-old, 5ft-11in Stewart, who holds Jamaica’s junior record in the 110m hurdles, improved on his previous best of 7.71 seconds ran last year at the Big 12 Indoor Championships.

A Kingston College past student, Stewart was competing last weekend at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, held at the Armory Track & Field Centre in New York.

Damar Forbes of Louisiana State University leapt 7.64 metres to place third in the long jump at the same meet, where Trisha-Ann Hawthorne of the University of Connecticut ran a personal best 7.28 seconds to finish fourth in the 60 metres.

Associate head coach at Connecticut, Clive Terrelonge said: “Trisha’s where she wants to be going into the Nationals (NCAA Indoor Championships). She is at a point where most of the runners in the nation are looking up at her and trying to catch her best time.”

The 21-year-old Hawthorne was fourth at the Jamaica’s National Championships last year, after Sherone Simpson, Carrie Russell and Samantha Henry.

Robert Peddlar of the University of Michigan notched a personal best 7.58 metres to place second in the long jump at the Notre Dame Meyo Invitational in Indiana.

Deputy Head Boy at Wolmer’s from 2005-2007, Peddlar improved on his previous indoor best of 7.35 metres set last year. The Big 10 Indoor defending long jump champion, 21-year-old Peddlar had enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and Arts at the University of Michigan.

Tarika Williams of the University of Miami ran a personal best 23.62 seconds to win the 200 metres at the Virginia Tech Elite Meet. Her time ranks as the third-fastest in the history of Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, Manchester High past student Judith Riley of Lincoln University was named Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) track athlete of the week after contributing 36 points to lead the Blue Tigers to the team title at the NCAA Division II Team Challenge, in Findlay, Ohio.

The 22-year-old Riley, a freshman, clocked a personal best 7.49 seconds to place second in the 60 metres, won the 200m in 25.23 seconds and 8.70 for second in the 60m hurdles.

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RUPERT Green won his first High Mountain Coffee 10K road race title after turning back a decent field at Sunday’s 29th staging in Williamsfield, Manchester.

The 33-year-old Green, running unattached, beat off the challenge of United States duo Robert Cannon and Edmund Burke to win the race in 32:03 minutes.

Though the time was well below the 30:47 meet record set by former Belfield High standout Kemoy Campbell last year, Green was happy for the win.

“This is the year I trained the hardest,” Green said. “I knew once I ran a smart race I would win it. I didn’t finish last year, so I made myself a promise that I would do it this year.”

Cannon, who was running at the meet for the first time, clocked 33 minutes for second, while Holmwood Technical’s Kirk Brown finished third in 33:18.

Shawn Pitter, who was the early pace setter, placed fourth with 33:22.

With last year’s winner Campbell being away at school, Burke, a 12-year veteran of the High Mountain Coffee road race and a three-time winner, entered the contest as the favourite, but failed to make the top five.

His Shore Athletic teammate Carol Jefferson, however, restored some pride for the Americans in winning the female equivalent.

The New Jersey-based athlete completed her race in 39:19, way ahead GC Foster’s Stacy-Ann Bell, who placed second with a time of 41.17 seconds.

Meanwhile, the St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) dominated the 5K race with Dwayne Hibbert and Alethia McLaughlin topping the field with respective times of 15:17 and 18:29.

Sanjay Pantre of St Jago High (15: 22) and Munro’s Herbert Thomas (15:37) were second and third, respectively, among the males.

In the female category, Nickesha Williams (19:06) and Latoya Richards, both of STETHS, were second and third, while Manchester High’s Nickesha Mitchell was fourth.

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Sprint darling Veronica Campbell-Brown led the Jamaican invasion of three marquee events at the Millrose Games on Friday.

The reigning women’s World Indoor sprint champion opened her season in reassuring style, when she extended herself in the last 20 metres, and clocked 7.11 seconds to win the 60m dash at Madison Square Garden.

“It’s early season, and there’s lots of room for improvement,” said Campbell-Brown, who endured a 36-hour travel delay from her home in Atlanta.

“I believe track is 90 per cent mental, and if you’re mentally weak, you cannot win. I’m always mentally prepared.”

Campbell-Brown was just behind Lauryn Williams out of the blocks, but overtook the American by halfway and cruised to the finish.

Williams took second in 7.22 secs, and fellow American Lisa Barber ran 7.23 to take the other podium position.

Trisha-Ann Hawthorne and Vonette Dixon, two other Jamaicans, finished at the back of the field.

Earlier, Dixon had covered herself in glory, when she posted the fastest time in the world this season, with a surprise victory in the women’s 60m hurdles in eight seconds flat.

American Danielle Carruthers, who ended the 2010 season ranked ninth in the world, was the runner-up in 8.03 seconds, and Canadian star Perdita Felicien was third in 8.05.

Trinidad & Tobago’s Aleesha Barber brought up the rear in a time of 8.35.

“I could see Danielle out of the corner of my eye,” said Dixon, “… and I wanted to get in front of her.

“It’s my first race of the season, and I just wanted to see where I was. I wasn’t expecting to be this fast.”

Nesta Carter continued to enhance his resume, with a world-leading time of 6.52 to win the men’s 60m.

Carter held off a late-race challenge from the American pair of Mike Rodgers and Trell Kimmons, who ran 6.56 and 6.57, respectively, to ensure that the United States won the two-way duel with the Jamaicans 23-17.

Two other Jamaicans, Lerone Clarke and Oshane Bailey, were the back markers with times of 6.67 and 6.71, respectively.

“I tend to think Jamaica is still the sprint capital of the world,” said Carter about losing the United States vs Jamaica duel.

“I thought it was a good race. I stumbled at the start, and I was a bit confused at the finish, but I’m happy to come out with Mike and Trell, and be ready to go.”

Trinidad & Tobago’s Renny Quow also distinguished himself, when he won the rarely contested 600 yards, with a time of one minute, 11.82 seconds. It was the second time he has won the event at the Millrose Games.

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British Athletics acquired another ready-made world class recruit yesterday with the announcement that Shara Proctor, a long jumper and triple jumper, has switched allegiance from the Caribbean island of Anguilla.

Having placed sixth in the long jump at the World Championships in Berlin last year, the 22-year-old will be a notable addition to the Great Britain squad in the countdown to the home Olympics of 2012 – as will the 100m hurdler Tiffany Ofili, whose transfer from the United States was announced by UK Athletics two months ago and rubber-stamped by the International Association of Athletic Federations in Monaco last weekend.

Ofili, a bronze medallist for the US at the 2006 World Junior Championships, has a British mother. Proctor has had British citizenship since birth. Like Ofili, she has been placed on Podium level Lottery funding by UK Athletics.

“I’m happy to welcome Shara into the team,” Charles van Commenee, head coach of UK Athletics, said. “She’s a high-calibre athlete who has proven to be able to make finals at global championships. We are not strong in women’s field events at the moment. The fact that Shara has decided to represent Britain from now on will make the team stronger.”

That team has already been strengthened by recruits from overseas in recent years. The Jamaican-born Germaine Mason won Olympic high jump silver for Britain in 2008, while Michael Bingham, a former US junior decathlete, took silver in the 400m at the European Championships in Barcelona in July.

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The winners were announced at the World Athletics Gala in Monaco and
presented their trophies by International Athletic Foundation (IAF)
Honorary President Prince Albert of Monaco and IAF and IAAF President
Lamine Diack.

Rudisha is the youngest athlete at 21 years 338 days
and the first Kenyan to secure the prestigious award, which was won in
2008 and 2009 by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, after setting two world
records over the 800 metres distance in 2010 as well as claiming victory
in the African Championships.

Rudisha set his records within
eight days after his continental success in Nairobi, recording a time of
1 minute 41.09 seconds in Berlin on August 22 and following it up with a
new world best mark of 1:41.01 in Rieti, Italy a week later.

“I
must say that being Athlete of the Year is a tremendous performance and
honour, something we all as athletes want to achieve,” said Rudisha.

Also
shortlisted for the award were Eritrean half-marathon world record
holder Zersenay Tadesse, American sprinter Tyson Gay, who lifted the
accolade in 2007, US 110m hurdler David Oliver and Norwegian javelin
thrower Andreas Thorkildsen.

Rudisha said that it is possible to
dip below 1:40 minutes but did not want to make predictions because the
world championships and Olympics, where races are tactical rather than
fast, take centre stage in the next years.

“Running under 1:40 is
far away. I think I was saying this year 1:40 might be possible and that
is what I’m aiming for, though it depends on the system. Next year we
have the world championships, the Olympics the following year. That
might sort of hinder some of forecast of a fast time. But I think myself
1:40 is possible,” he said.

World indoor champion Vlasic, who was
also shortlisted in 2007 and 2009, becomes only the third high jumper
in the 23-year history of the Gala to lift the award, following German
Heike Henkel and Hestrie Cloete of South Africa.

Vlasic won the
world indoor championships and was also crowned European champion this
year. She won 18 out of 20 competitions in 2010 and posted a season best
of 2.05 metres.

“This is an amazing achievement, it can’t get
better than this. I’m proud and I’m honoured,” said Vlasic.

“I
struggled in each competition this year. So the step I made this year
psychologically meant more than being able to jump a certain height. So
winning this award after this season means even more.

The
27-year-old was up against sprinters Allyson Felix of the US and
Jamaican Veronica Campbell-Brown, Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase
winner Milcah Chemos of Kenya and British heptathlete Jessica Ennis.

Felix
has won the last three world titles over 200m while Campbell-Brown has
lifted the last two Olympic Games crowns and also took 100m gold at the
2007 worlds in Osaka. World 400m champion Sanya Richards of the US
claimed the 2009 award.

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Unless a willing host is found soon, next year’s CARIFTA Games could be cancelled for the first time in its near 40-year history.

There have been concerns in the regional track and field circles after St Kitts, who were to host the regional championships held over the Easter weekend, withdrew and Jamaica, who was being mooted to replace them, is not able to.

The championships that has been the first international exposure for Caribbean track and field stars since 1972, is traditionally held over the Easter weekend and due to the late observance of the Christian holiday in 2011, it would prove to be too much for the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) to host the up to 30 countries.

The meet will be held April 22-24 next year and Howard Aris, president of the JAAA told the Observer recently that the close proximity to the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) an IAAF Area Permit Meet, would prove too much for his organisation.

The JII meet is held on the first Saturday in May and is slated to be held on May 7 next year and Aris says trying to plan and organise both meets at the same time, could be more than what the JAAA would be able to take on.

The Catherine Hall multi-purpose stadium in Montego Bay had been touted as the likely venue.

Jamaica has hosted the event six times, the latest in 1996 and the other times being 1974, 1979, 1982, 1988 and 1990.

Bermuda is down to host the event in 2012, while the Bahamas had made a bid to host the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2013.

Eleven different countries have hosted the championships.

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Trinidad and Tobago track star, Kelly-Ann Baptiste scorched the track in 11.05 seconds to capture the IAAF / VTB Bank Continental Cup women’s 100 metres title, in Split, Croatia, last Saturday.

The Continental Cup replaces the IAAF World Cup in Athletics, which was last staged in 2006.

Baptiste became the first T&T woman to compete at the World Cup/Continental Cup, and she ensured it was a memorable first for her country, the Florida-based sprinter claiming top spot in the century.

Baptiste, the national record holder at 10.84 seconds, led a one-two finish for the Americas team, beating training partner Shalonda Solomon, of the United States, into second spot. Solomon got to the line in 11.09, while third-placed Blessing Okagbare, representing Africa, clocked 11.14.

Okagbare held the early advantage, but Baptiste battled back, seizing the lead and grabbing gold.

“I didn’t feel any pressure before the start,” said Baptiste. “I knew I would run a good race.”

Baptiste returned to the track to anchor a multi-national Americas team to gold in the women’s 4x100m relay. Cayman Islands sprinter Cydonie Mothersill ran the leadoff leg, handing the baton to Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie. Solomon performed third leg duties, getting the stick safely to Baptiste, who completed the victory.

Americas returned a time of 43.07 seconds to finish well ahead of Europe (43.77), Africa (43.88) and Asia-Pacific (44.54).

Americas also captured the men’s sprint relay title, Antiguan Daniel Bailey, Americans Wallace Spearmon and Tyson Gay, and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles combining for a 38.25 seconds clocking.

Christophe Lemaitre won the men’s 100m title for Europe, the French sprinter getting home in 10.06 seconds. Bailey (10.10) seized silver, while Great Britain/Europe sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis (10.16) bagged bronze.

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