Fraser-Pryce falters in 100m final
Brandon McBride wins men’s 800m gold medal
A fifth-place finish in the 100metre final was unexpected given Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s pedigree.
The 32-year-old Jamaican has recorded the fourth-fastest 100-metre time in history, and was the most decorated athlete competing at this weekend’s NACAC Championships at Varsity Stadium this weekend.
But Fraser-Pryce missed last season due to pregnancy; her son, Zyon, turned one last Tuesday.
She ran 10.98 seconds in London in late July, breaking the 11-second barrier for the first time since returning to the track.
But like Serena Williams, who reached the Wimbledon final10 months after giving birth to a daughter, Fraser-Pryce is still working to recapture the consistency that made her a medal favourite at major meets.
“The most challenging part is that I have to get my body back to what I’m used to, and that’s being powerful and being strong and consistent from the blocks,” Fraser-Pryce said.
“It’s still taking me some time, but I’m very grateful for the progress that I have been making. Having a child and coming back is hard, but at the same time it’s not impossible. I just have to be patient and allow the progress to work.” MCBRIDE DELIVERS: Windsor native and two-time NCAA champ Brandon McBride entered the men’s 800 metres as a favourite to win, and left the race with a gold medal.
The 24-year-old, who won a national title last month in Ottawa, spent the first lap of the race trailing Puerto Rican national record holder Wesley Vazquez.
But with 200 metres remaining McBride overtook Vazquez and outran him to the finish line to win in one minute, 46.14 seconds. Fellow Canadian Mar- co Arop finished second1:46.82.
The win extends a successful summer for McBride, who graduated from Mississippi State University. Four weeks ago he set a new Canadian record in the 800, running 1:43.20 at a Diamond League meet in Monaco. KNIGHT CLAIMS BRONZE: Vaughan native and former Syracuse standout Justyn Knight entered the final phase of the men’s 5,000 metres trailing American Hassan Mead by half a stride. It’s a familiar position for Knight, who built his NCAA reputation on outsprinting rivals in the last 200 metres of distance races.
But Mead cranked up the pace with just over 400 metres remaining, opening a gap Knight couldn’t close. Mead finished in 14 minutes, 0.18 seconds to win gold. American Riley Masters won silver, with Knight taking bronze in 14:01.77.