By Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport EditorTHE MEN'S and women's 100 metres heats will highlight today's opening day of the three-day JAAA Supreme Ventures National Senior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium.
This weekend's 'trials' are the most crucial since 2000 as athletes will be bidding for places on the national team to the XXVIII Olympiad in Athens, Greece, August 13-29.
Yesterday several of the island's top athletes were at Stadium East having their final workouts. They included 100m hurdles champion Brigitte Foster, 400m hurdles champion Danny McFarlane, women's 100m champion Aleen Bailey and Commonwealth Games decathlon champion Claston Bernard.
Defending champion Asafa Powell of the University of Technology (UTech) and Steve Mullings of Barton County Junior College in the United States head the men's 100 metres field. Powell's 9.99 seconds at G.C. Foster College on June 12 makes him one of the fastest men in the world. Mullings has a 2004 best of 10.05, Michael Frater 10.06 and Dwight Thomas 10.18.
Another UTech student, Sherone Simpson, has the third fastest time, 11.01 seconds, over 100 metres in the world this year and will be hard to beat if she runs up to her best form. She will, however, face strong challenges from last year's champion Bailey, 11.19, and 2002 champion Veronica Campbell, 11.10. Other leading contenders are Elva Goulbourne, 11.27, 2000 Olympics 100m bronze medallist Tayna Lawrence, 11.29, and Peta-Gaye Dowdie, 11.40.
COMPETITIVE EVENTS
Four other very competitive events will have their first rounds today. First up at 5:30 will be the women's 400m hurdles where University of Carolina student Shevon Stoddart runs for the first time at the National Stadium against main rivals Allison Beckford and Debbie Ann Parris.
Parris has a year's best 55.64 which puts her well ahead of Beckford's 56.12, Stoddart's 56.12 and Tanya Jarrett's 56.51.
The men's 400m hurdles promises to be very interesting. Last year's winner McFarlane has been running well on the grand prix circuit this season but he will be strongly challenged by former champion Kemel Thompson. Both men reached the final of the event at last year's World Championships in Paris after a close battle at the National Championships.
McFarlane has been looking really good this season with a 2004 best of 48.80. Thompson's 48.95 is not too far behind. The battle for top honours is not necessarily confined to the top two. Ian Weakley has a 2004 best of 49.00 and Dean Griffiths, 49.28, and Dinsdale Morgan, 49.62.
ATTENTION
The men's and women's 400m will also grab a great deal of attention. The women's event will be without injured many-time champion Lorraine Fenton and this makes it all the more interesting as a number of women will be seeking to grab the title. Former Ferncourt High student Novelene Williams has been doing well for the University of Florida and will start favourite following her 51.02 at the NCAA meet in Austin, Texas. Allison Beckford (51.61) is another of the leading contenders along with Shellene Williams (51.94), Ronetta Smith (52..03) and veteran Sandie Richards (52.47).
The men's event will also be hotly contested. Defending champion Michael Blackwood (45.89) has not been at his best this season and may have to play second fiddle to Davian Clarke who looked in supreme condition when winning at the National Stadium on May 7. Clarke has the best 2004 time, 45.11. He is followed by Brandon Simpson 45.29, Michael McDonald 45.48, Pete Coley, 45.62 and Jermaine Gonzales, 45.81.
