Asafa Powell and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce win in Jamaica
Last Updated: 27/06/15 12:57pm
Asafa Powell equalled his season's best run at 9.84 seconds to win the 100 metre title at the Jamaica national trials.
The win was Powell’s sixth national title and first since 2011 as he beat Nickel Ashmeade, who ran 9.91 seconds, and Kemar Bailey-Cole who took third in 9.97 seconds.
Powell had cruised to a 10.04 second in the semi-finals but he took charge of the final midway through the race and powered away from the field.
And he claims that he will run faster once he gets both halves of the race together.
"I am feeling very strong," he said. "I need to work on the first part of the race, I have been focussing too much on the last 50m. I need to go back and work on the first part."
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce ran a world leading time of 10.79 seconds to claim the 100m women’s title.
Despite being up against a quality field, Olympic and world champion Fraser-Pryce was always in control, finishing first ahead of runner-up Natasha Morrison, who ran a personal best 11.03 seconds.
Two-time Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown was third in 11.06 seconds.
Fraser-Pryce had already qualified for the Beijing World Championships in August via a bye because she is the defending champ, meaning fourth place Sherone Simpson, who ran 11.14 seconds, will join the top three at the Worlds.
"I thought I executed very well tonight," Fraser-Pryce said. "The field was good as usual.
“I had already qualified so it was more about executing a good race and the fact that I had missed a few races because of my hamstring. I just wanted to come out and put a solid race together.
"I was comfortable with my start, this was the best one in years but there is still work to be done. It is still June and the World Championships is all the way in August."
Meanwhile, Annsert Whyte, who took up the 400m hurdles after failing to make any progress in the 400m, and 21-year-old Janieve Russell (55.10 seconds) were both first-time national senior champions in the intermediate hurdles.
Whyte clocked a season's best 48.90 seconds to beat Roxroy Cato (49.09 seconds) while Leford Green was third in 49.41 seconds.
