STUTTGART, Germany, CMC – US Virgin Islands (USVI) sprint ace Lavern Jones-Ferrette clocked a striking 2010 world best 6.97 seconds to win the women’s 60 metres at the Sparkassen-Cup indoor track and field on Saturday.
Jones-Ferrette defeated top American Carmelita Jeter and threatened Merlene Ottey’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) record while adding to other Caribbean wins at the meet by Cuban Dayron Robles and Jamaican Lerone Clarke.
The fabulous win by Jones-Ferrette was just 0.01 seconds outside Ottey’s CAC mark and the first sub-7.0 clocking in the event in 11 years, since Greek sprinter Ekaterini Thanou clocked 6.96 to win gold at the 1999 World Indoor Championships in Japan.
Bahamian veteran Chandra Sturrup was disqualified after a false start and Jones-Ferrette led the field out of the blocks, speeding to her second world-leading win inside four days.
She won at Wednesday’s Dusseldorf Invitational in a 2010 world best 7.09 and surprised even herself by chopping a stunning 0.12 seconds off that time with Saturday’s win.
“I always felt with my form I could run faster, but to run under seven seconds I never ever thought about that – it is a big surprise,” Jones-Ferrette said.
World (outdoor) Championship 100-metre bronze medallist Jeter finished second in a personal best 7.05, and France’s Miryam Soumare (7.19) was third.
The win makes Jones-Ferrette the sixth fastest all-time over the distance, behind Russian world record holder Irina Privalova (6.92), Americans Gail Devers and Marion Jones, each at 6.95, with Ottey and Thanou next on the grid at 6.96 seconds.
There was a Caribbean one-two finish in the men’s 60 metres with Clarke posting a personal season’s best 6.57 seconds to win narrowly ahead of the Netherlands Antilles’ Churandy Martina (6.58), also logging his quickest time this year. Nigerian Ogho-Oghene Egwero was third in 6.62 seconds.
Robles advertised solid early season form as he won the men’s 60-metre hurdles in a world-leading 7.49 seconds.
The 23-year-old outdoor world record holder, who missed the IAAF World Championship in Berlin last summer because of injury, repelled a determined late burst from American David Oliver (7.49) to win in a tight finish, with Jamaican Dwight Thomas (7.64) third.
Jamaica’s reigning Commonwealth Games sprint hurdles champion Maurice Wignall was sixth in 8.13.
