Rhodes Hall’s Williams

BILLED for several weeks as a mustsee race at 2018 edition of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, the 400 metres hurdles for Class One boys lived up to expectations as Rovane Williams of Rhodes Hall High School upstaged prerace favourites Malik James-King of Calabar and Jauavney James of St Elizabeth Technical to win in a record time of 49.94 seconds at the National Stadium yesterday.

Williams came off the final hurdle in third position but made a huge surge to grab the gold for his school.

Coming into the race, Williams felt he had to win as all his teammates failed to advance to their respective finals, he told STAR Sports.

“When I came out this evening and realised that all my teammates got knocked out of their various events, I told myself that I have got to come out and do it for my teammates because our aim was to be in the top 10 because we have some good athletes,” Williams said.

Williams warned his competitors at the Digicel Grand Prix final two weeks ago when he won the event in 50.36 seconds and thus was not surprised by his time tonight.

“It was a great feeling to go under 50 seconds. When I was warming up, my coach told me to just to stay with the athlete in front and power home in the straight,” Williams said.

James-King, who has dominated the event all season, finished second with a personal best of 50.03 seconds, while James was third with 50.07 seconds.

Shian Salmon of Hydel High School was also in record-breaking mood in the girls’ equivalent stopping the clock at 55.78 to erase the previous mark of 55.81 done in 2011 by Ristananna Tracey of Edwin Allen High. The captain of the Hydel team said that she felt as though she could break the record after cruising 58.83 in the preliminary round.

“After I ran my heat, I felt it coming but I wasn’t really sure but with God’s help I got it tonight,” Salmon said.

Sanique Walker of Vere Technical finished second in 58.03, while Moisha Barnes of Edwin Allen.

GLADSTONE TAYLOR St Elizabeth Technical’s Sachin Dennis (centre) wins the Class Two boys 100m final in a record 10.20 seconds ahead of Kingston College’s Terrique Stennett (right), 10.37, at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships at The National...

GLADSTONE TAYLOR Edwin Allen’s Kevona Davis (left) looks across at the clock after crossing the line in first place in the Class Two girls 100m final in a record 11.16 seconds at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships held at The National Stadium...

RICARDO MAKYN Zackery Dillon of Calabar wins the Class Two boys shot put with a throw of 16.82 metres.

Rhodes Hall’s Rovane Williams reacts after winning the Class One boys 400m hurdles in a record 49.94 at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium last night.