SZCZECIN, Poland, CMC – Former world record holder Asafa Powell and reigning Olympic and World Champion Melaine Walker registered two of five Jamaican victories at the 2009 Pedro’s Cup international track and field meeting on Tuesday evening.
Walker, fresh from wins at the Berlin World Champion-ship and the IAAF World Athletics Final (WAF), was hardly challenged as she won the 400-metre hurdles in 54.86 seconds, while Powell posted his quickest time this year in landing the men’s 100 metres in 9.82 seconds.
Sherone Simpson, Jovanee Jarrett and Nickeisha Wilson were also in winners’ row for the Jamaican camp.
World-leader Walker dominated her one-lap hurdles event and came home in front of the improving Josanne Lucas, of Trinidad and Tobago.
Lucas, a bronze medallist at the Berlin World Championship in a national record 53.20 seconds, clocked 55.48 for the runner-up spot, just ahead of the Russian Natalya Antyukh (55.70).
Powell, narrowly beaten by American Tyson Gay in the WAF 100 on Saturday, rebounded with a fine win and led a Jamaican sweep of the podium spots in the men’s 100.
Bettering by 0.02 seconds his previous season’s best of 9.84 which gave him bronze at the World Championship, Powell whipped his MVP Track Club team-mates Nesta Carter (10.10) and Michael Frater (10.23).
Barbados national champion Andrew Hinds was fifth in 10.46 seconds.
Gay won the 200 metres in 20.21 seconds, easily dismissing Britain’s Jeff Lawal-Balogun (20.85) and Jamaican Ainsley Waugh (21.10).
There was a Caribbean domination of the women’s 100 with Olympic sprint relay champion Simpson clocking 11.29 seconds to win ahead of Jamaican 400-metre specialist Shericka Williams (11.46) and the US Virgin Islands’ LaVerne Jones-Ferrette (11.54).
Wilson and Jarrett picked up wins in the 100-hurdles and long jump events, respectively.
Posting a season’s best 12.79 seconds, Wilson turned back the Russian Yuliya Kondakova (12.94) and Britain’s Sarah Claxton (13.07) to better her previous year’s best of 12.84 last week in Rieti.
Jarrett’s best effort was measured at 6.39 metres as she defeated Estonia’s Ksenija Balta (6.28m) for the long jump title.
There was a third place finish in the men’s 400 for Dominica’s Erison Hurtault, who clocked 46.15 chasing Sudan’s winner Yusif Rabah (45.64) and Britain’s Robert Tobin (45.95).
