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| Warren Weir (right) celebrates victory while Jason Livermore looks on in the 200m final at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at the National Stadium last night. Weir won comfortably in a personal best 19.79 seconds ahead of Nickel Ashmeade. Livermore finished third. - Ricardo Makyn/Gleaner Staff Photographer |
Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir displayed similar swag to that of his Racers clubmate Usain Bolt, as he approached the finish line with arms outstretched followed by a thumping of the chest as he crossed it to capture the men's 200m. The slim-built sprinter brought the curtains down in emphatic style on yesterday's ultimate day of competition at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures Limited National Senior Championships.
Weir, who along with Bolt and Yohan Blake had captured all three medals on offer in the half-lap event at the London Olympics, was as comfortable as he was impressive, winning in a personal best 19.79 seconds.
"I am just letting the world know and Jamaica know it wasn't a fluke; this one is for real," said Weir after the race. "I wanted to run a fast time, to win and make a statement, and I think I accomplished that."
Last season's 200m Diamond League champion Nickel Ashmeade had to settle for second in 20.06, with Jason Livermore third in 20.13, as both booked their places for the sprint double at this summer's World Championships.
FRASER-PRYCE PLEASED
Olympic 200m silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce romped to victory in the women's equivalent, as she was unchallenged from start to finish, winning in 22.13 seconds.
"I am very happy this evening because I think I executed well," Fraser-Pryce shared. "Overall, I am pleased with the time, and the season is still young and many more races [are] to come."
Sherone Simpson also booked her place for the sprint double, as she was second in 22.55, with Anneisha McLaughlin third - to complete the MVP sweep - in a time of 22.58.
Novlene Williams-Mills saw off the challenge of new kid on the block Stephenie-Ann McPherson to retain her national 400m title after coming home in 50.01 seconds.
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20130624/sports/sports1.html
Personal Best
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| Warren Weir (left) spreads his arms as he approaches the finish line to win the men’s 200m final at the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at the National Stadium last evening in 19.79 seconds ahead of Nickel Ashmeade (right). At centre is Jason Young, who finished fifth. (OBSERVER PHOTO: GARFIELD ROBINSON) |
BY PAUL A REID Observer writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
Monday, June 24, 2013
SPREADING his arms wide as he neared the finish line, Warren Weir's posture said it all.
But he voiced it after his spectacular new personal best in winning the
men's 200m in 19.79 seconds as the JAAA/Supreme Ventures National Senior
Championships ended in a blaze of glory at the National Stadium last
evening.
"This was no fluke, this one is for real," he said.
The men's 200m had promised to be the highlight of the four-day meet and
it did not disappoint, as Weir, the Olympic Games bronze medallist, in
the absence of Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake, took the event in a big way.
Nickel Ashmeade was second in 20.06 seconds, with Jason Livermore, who
made the team to the Moscow World Championships in the 4x100m relay,
taking third and cementing his place, running 20.13 seconds.
Running in lane six, Weir came off the curve in front and never trailed,
despite a late surge from Ashmeade, as he maintained his form and
spread his arms in triumph three strides from the line.
Weir then told reporters that he wanted to send a message that his 2012
season was no fluke, as he warned "Jamaica and the rest of the world" to
take notice.
Olympic silver medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who skipped the 100m
as she has a bye to the World Championships, sent a message with a world
leading 22.13 seconds to win the women's race and said she just "came
out to execute and was not that interested in times".
MVP runners swept the top three places in the event as Sherone Simpson
was second in 22.55 seconds, and Anniesha McLaughlin made it to
back-to-back World Championships teams when she placed third in 22.58
seconds.
The fourth day was arguably the best in terms of quality performances,
as the 400m finals and women's triple jump produced quality results.
There's a new guard in the men's 400m, with the top three all making the
team to a senior global meet for the first time in an individual
capacity.
Javere Bell, who left Racers Track Club last year to stay with coach
Bertland Cameron, won his first national senior title, running a new
personal best, his second this year, 45.08 seconds, holding off Calabar
High schoolboy school boy Javon Francis, who also ran a personal best
45.24 seconds, with Akheem Gauntlet third in 45.48 seconds.
Omar Johnson was fourth ahead of Edino Steel, while Olympian Rushane
McDonald, who went out hard, faltered in the home stretch and placed
sixth.
In the women's 400m final, Novlene Williams-Mills used all her
experience to hold off Stephenie Ann McPherson with a resurgent Patricia
Hall taking third.
Williams-Mills, who said she started training late this season, about
six months ago due to a myriad of medical problems, clocked a season's
best 50.01 seconds, as McPherson ran yet another personal best (50.28
seconds), and Hall, who was a semi-finalists in the 400m at the IAAF
World Indoors last year, ran 51.13 seconds to hold off Anastacia Leroy.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/Weir--Fraser-Pryce-win-200m-in-impressive-style_14559979#ixzz2XAyC3gND
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