BUDAPEST, Hungary – St Lucian star Julien Alfred impressively captured the opening heat in a time of 10.99 while Jamaican Natasha Morrison ran second in heat five in 11.02 to also clinch a place in the next round at the World Athletics Championship on Sunday.
St Lucian Julien Alfred won her 100 metres heat.Reigning world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser and main challenger, fellow Jamaican Shericka Jackson, both captured their heats to comfortably advance from the first round of the women’s 100 meters.
Veteran Fraser-Pryce, one of the oldest sprinters in the competition at 36, returned a time of 11.01 to win the final of seven heats.
The five-time world champion leapt from the blocks in lane five to establish an early lead and coasted over the last 50 meters to finish ahead of Switzerland’s Mujinga Kambundji who was timed at 11.08 seconds.
Jackson, the reigning 200m world champion, dominated heat four to win in 11.06, leading home Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ayhe who clocked a season-best 11.16 for second.
In-form American Sha’Carri Richardson won heat five in a swift 10.92, to signal her intentions in pursuit of her first global title.
Jamaican Shashalee Forbes, 27, secured her ticket to the next round as well when she clocked 11.12 in finishing second in heat six behind Marie-Josée Ta Lou of Côte d’Ivoire who was timed at 11.08.
Another Jamaican, reigning Olympic champion Hansle Parchment, tasted success in the men’s sprint hurdles when he won heat one in 13.30 to advance to the next round.
The 33-year-old Parchment was joined by teammate Orlando Bennett, the 23-year-old also qualifying for the next round after finishing fifth in 13.39 seconds.
However, there was disappointment for the other Jamaican involved as Rasheed Broadbell, the Commonwealth champion and fastest in the world this year, took a tumble in heat three won by Senegal’s Louis François Mendy, and bowed out.
In the 400 metres, Olympic champion Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas qualified easily on the men’s side, winning the opening heat in 44.65 seconds.
St Lucian Michael Joseph also reached the next round after finishing fifth in 45.04.
Grenadian Kirani James, a former Olympic and World champion, also sealed his progression after winning heat four in 44.91.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards (45.15), along with Jamaicans Sean Bailey (44.98), Antonio Watson (44.77) and Zandrion Barnes (45.05), all secured qualification to the next round.
In the corresponding women’s event, Barbadian Sada Williams (50.78) won heat three and Jamaican Nickisha Pryce (50.38) took heat four, to headline the Caribbean qualifiers.
Jamaicans Candice McLeod (50.37) and Charokee Young (51.24), along with Cuban Roxana Gómez (50.86), also advanced.
The men’s 400 metres hurdles saw two-time reigning Commonwealth Games champion, Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands, move on to the next round after winning heat two in 48.47.
Jamaicans Roshawn Clarke (48.39) and Jaheel Hyde (48.63) also did enough to qualify for the next round.
