Mcleod opens 60m hurdles season with good win at randal tyson track center
JAMAICA’S World Championships and Olympic champion Omar Mcleod was the only Jamaican winner on sunday’s third American Track League meeting at Randal Tyson Track Center at University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, winning the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.53 seconds, making him the third-fastest man in the world so far.
Christania Williams in the women’s 60m and Britany Anderson in the women’s 60m hurdles were runners-up in personal best times, while Christopher Taylor and Shiann Salmon got third places in their 400m races.
Mcleod, who ran just once last year, an indoors 100m race, equalled his second-best opening time, ever, with only his 7.46 seconds in the 2017 season being faster and the same time he ran to open the 2018 season.
Mcleod, who has never lost a season-opening 60m hurdles race, was the fastest qualifier in the heats when he ran 7.55 seconds to take the second heat, then returned later to beat American Michael Dickson (7.58 seconds) and Trinidad and Tobago’s Rueben Walters (7.68 seconds), the same time given to American Trevor Bassitt.
Anderson, who just turned 20 years old just over a week ago, became the eighth-fastest Jamaican over the 60m hurdles when she clocked a lifetime best of 7.96 seconds in the preliminary rounds.
She returned to run 7.97 seconds in the final, where the United Kingdom’s Tiffany Porter just dipped at the line ahead of her to win in 7.95 seconds, the same time she ran in the heats.
American Gabbi Cunningham took third in a season’s best of 8.08 seconds with another Jamaican, Rushelle Burton, fourth in 8.20 seconds.
Williams equalled her personal best of 7.14 seconds in the final of the 60m, but was second again to Nigerian Blessing Okagbare, a repeat of the first meeting between the two at the same venue two weeks prior.
Okagbare, who only returned to the indoors 60m this year after a 10-year absence, ran a personal best 7.10 seconds, while American Teahna Daniels was third in a season’s best of 7.17 seconds.
Taylor appeared more composed in his second outing on the banked track, but was thrown off when Trinidadian Deon Lendore cut across him at the second turn causing the Jamaican to break stride momentarily.
American Michael Cherry, who ran in another section, won the event with a personal best of 45.24 seconds, Lendore was second in 46.08 seconds and Taylor third in 46.09 seconds.
Salmon atoned for her disqualification in the 300m two weeks ago by taking third place in the women’s 400m in a personal best 52.85 seconds, as fellow intermediate hurdler Shamier Little won with a personal best 51.33 seconds, with Shakima Wimbley second in 52.12 seconds.
Damar Forbes placed fourth in the men’s long jump with a best effort of 7.70m, as American Marquis Dendy won with a world-leading 8.21m in the final round, and his second legal mark.
Laquan Nairn set a Bahamas national record of 8.18m for second, while Charles Brown was third with 7.81m.