Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce continued her blistering start to the season at the Jamaican National Championships on Thursday, scorching through her opening 100m heat in 10.70sec.
Fraser-Pryce, the fastest woman in the world this year after twice clocking 10.67sec, most recently in Paris last weekend, showed no sign of fatigue as she blazed to an emphatic victory.
Fraser-Pryce exploded from the blocks and controlled the race from the start, with former World Under-20 sprint double champion Briana Williams second in 10.98sec.
Kemba Nelson of the University of Oregon who was second in the US collegiate championships 100m two weeks ago, also ran 10.98sec to pip Olympic Games bronze medalist Shericka Jackson (10.99sec.)
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Olympic sprint double champion Elaine Thompson-Herah had little trouble winning her heat in 11.06sec, setting the stage for a high-quality battle in Friday’s semi-final and final.
In the men’s 100m, Yohan Blake clocked an impressive 9.93sec while rising star Oblique Seville was a comfortable winner of his heat in 9.98sec.
Elsewhere Thursday, world number three ranked Lamara Distin finished a surprise second in the women’s high jump, managing only 1.85m.
Earlier this year the Texas A&M athlete, had cleared 1.97m and won both NCAA indoors and Outdoors titles and said her aim was to clear 2.00m.
“I feel like it was just one of those days, it was my first real bad day of the season and it is good that it happened here and hopefully not at the World Championships,” she said.
Kimberly Williamson won the event with 1.88m, her seventh national title and first since 2019.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - AFP)