National record for Christian in Ponce

PONCE, Puerto Rico, CMC – Antiguan Brendan Christian sped to a national record and Jamaican Olympic medallist Danny McFarlane scored a fine hurdles win to be among the headliners at the Ponce Grand Prix on Saturday night.

Christian continued his outstanding form this season by equaling his own Antigua and Barbuda 100-metre national record of 10.11 seconds while landing the sprint double at the Paquito Montaner Stadium.

McFarlane delivered one of his quickest times this year in capturing the men’s 400-metre hurdles in 48.77 seconds.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Ato Modibo and Chelsea Hammond, of Jamaica, also logged victories to give Caribbean Community (CARICOM) athletes five victories on the night.

Looking for bragging rights as the top Leeward Islands sprinter, Christian outgunned ex-world champion Kim Collins from neighbouring St Kitts and Nevis in the men’s 100 metres.

The Pan Am Games 200-metre champion added to recent victories in Martinique and Guadeloupe and relegated Collins, the 2003 World Champion, to second spot.

He finished 0.12 seconds ahead of Collins (10.23) and Brian Mariano, of the Netherlands Antilles got third in 10.34 seconds.

In the half-lap sprint, Christian was even more dominant and clocked 20.21 seconds for an authoritative triumph over Canada’s Brian Barnett (20.55).

McFarlane, the Athens Olympics silver medallist, was just a shade outside his personal season’s best as he powered home ahead of American LaRon Bennett in the one-lap hurdles.

In finishing 0.03 seconds outside his season’s best, McFarlane won ahead of Bennett (48.94), with Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson clocking a solid 48.99 for third.

Modibo ran his quickest time this year in taking the men’s 400 metres in 45.01 seconds, chased by Dominica’s Chris Lloyd (45.45) and Bahamian Andrae Williams (45.52) in a CARICOM sweep on the top spots.

Hammond claimed victory in the women’s long jump at 6.59 metres, defeating American Funmi Jimoh (6.39m) with her Jamaican teammate Elva Goulbourne fifth at 6.28 metres.

The big US Virgin Islands’ sprinter LaVerne Jones picked up a pair of second place finishes.

In the women’s 100 metres, she clocked 11.37 behind American winner Angela Williams (11.32) and she was also a close second to American Ebonie Floyd (22.80) in the 200 metres, clocking 22.89.

Jamaican Peta-Gaye Dowdie was fourth in 23.25 after posting 11.66 for fifth in the 100 metres.

There were other top three spots for CARICOM runners in the women’s 400 and 800 metres.

American Kia Davis won the 400 metres in 51.55, chased by Jamaicans Clora Williams (51.65) and Nadia Davy (52.07) with Grenada’s Hazel-Ann Regis fourth in 52.09 and Cydonie Mothersill, of the Cayman Islands, fifth in 52.33 seconds.

Guyana’s Marian Burnett ran a personal season’s best two minutes 00.41 seconds for the runner-up spot in the 800 behind American Hazel Clark (1:59.82).

Barbadian Sheena Gooding (2:04.75) and T&T’s Melissa DeLeon (2:05.10) took fourth and fifth, respectively.

Jamaicans Richard Phillips and Andrea Bliss took third in their sprint hurdles – Phillips clocking 13.56 behind American winner David Payne (13.49) in the 110-metre hurdles, and Bliss (13.00) chased Americans Kellie Wells (12.71) and Danielle Carruthers (12.92) in the 100-hurdles.