SPLIT, Croatia, CMC – Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Nickiesha Wilson took advantage of the absence of a number of leading stars, and were the only English-speaking Caribbean athletes to win their respective events at the IAAF Continental Cup which ended yesterday at City Stadium.
Trinidad & Tobago’s Baptiste won the women’s 100 metres dash, and Jamaica’s Wilson won the women’s 400 metres hurdles, as Caribbean athletes featured in six victories at the meet.
With Carmelita Jeter of the United States and Veronica Campbell-Brown missing from the starting line-up, Baptiste – who broke her own national record earlier this year with 10.84 seconds – put herself and T&T on the map in style.
She clocked 11.05 secs for the fourth-fastest winning time for the women’s 100 in the history of the Continental Cup.
“I didn’t feel any pressure before the start,” she said. “I knew I would run a good race.”
American Shalonda Solomon was second in 11.09, running out of lane one, to ensure Team Americas collected maximum points, with African champion Blessing Okagbare fading after a strong start to finish third in 11.14.
Baptiste and Solomon then linked-up with Cydonnie Mothersill of the Cayman Islands and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas to win the women’s 4×100 relay for the Americas in a time of 43.07.
It hardly mattered that the Americas fielded runners from four different countries. The individual superior speed of the quartet was eventually enough to make the difference over the Europeans and Asia/Pacific.
With Olympic and World champion Melaine Walker sidelined with injury, and fellow Jamaican and season leader Kaliese Spencer having ended her season, Wilson ran her best time of the year of 54.52 to score an upset win in the women’s 400 hurdles.
Wilson finished strongly to score a precious victory for the Americas team, taking advantage of Bulgarian Vania Stombolova stumbling over the final hurdle.
“The main aim was to focus on my strategy, and that’s what I did,” said Wilson. “I’m glad to be part of the team. We all work together, and it’s a victory for all of us.”
Running from lane one, the 2008 African champion and national record holder Joke Odumosu of Nigeria ran a new national record time of 54.59 to come second, with Stambolova holding on for third with a time of 54.89.
The line-up which included Americans Tyson Gay and Wallace Spearmon, as well as Daniel Bailey of Antigua & Barbuda and Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles cruised home to win the men’s 4×100 relay for the Americas in 38.25.
It was a dominant performance from the Americans, as they handled the changeovers smoothly.
Gay ran the bend strongly to give Team Americas an unassailable lead before handing over to anchor man Martina.
Yesterday, there was more relay success for English-speaking Caribbean athletes, when the Americas also dominated the 4×400 relays.
Led off by Nery Brenes of Costa Rica, Team Americas, which also comprised Bershawn Jackson, fellow American Greg Nixon, and Jamaica’s Ricardo Chambers finished in two minutes, 59 seconds flat, breaking the meet record set 29 years ago by the United States.
Chambers was to play a critical role on the final leg, after Nixon gave the Americas a comfortable lead on the third leg.
But Martyn Rooney was on the final leg for Europe, and stalked Chambers the whole way around the lap, but the Jamaican was too strong, and powered to the line.
With Shericka Williams of Jamaica on the first leg, Team Americas, which also consisted of American Debbie Dunn, Wilson, and Bahamian Christine Amertil clocked 3 mins, 26.37 secs to win the women’s 4×400 relay.
