By Anthony Foster, TrackAlerts.com writer For World-Track
Asafa Powell, Kirani James and LaShawn Merritt were among the winners at Meeting Region Guadeloupe on Saturday (14).
Powell, who won the men’s 200m last week at the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston, ran 10.04 seconds to win the men’s 100m and set a new meeting record in his first appearance in the event this term.
The Jamaican former 100m world record holder defeated Diondre Batson of USA, who ran 10.15 for second place and Canadian World Championships bronze medallist Andre De Grasse, 10.20.
James, meanwhile, continued his promising start to the 2016 campaign, after he ran away with the men’s 400m event with an impressive 44.15.
The Grenadian Olympic champion beat compatriot Bralon Taplin, 44.54 and Javon Francis of Jamaica, who ran a season’s best time of 44.77.
In the half-lap event, American LaShawn Merritt, who leads the world this season with a brisk 19.78 secs, stopped the clock at 20.15 to bagged the top spot in the men’s 200m.
Merritt, who opted to skip another head-to-head battle with James in the 400m to work on his speed ahead of the upcoming Prefontaine Classic, beat countryman BeeJay Lee, 20.31 and De Grasse, 20.46.
In the meantime, Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica topped the women’s 400m hurdles in 55.34, while USA’s Jordin Andrade ran 49.52 to defeat a pair of Jamaicans – Roxroy Cato (49.98) and Leford Green (49.98) in the men’s discipline.
In the sprint hurdles competitions, Kristi Castlin and Ronnie Ash of USA came out on top.
Castlin took the women’s 100m hurdles in a new meet record of 12.69, as she led an American top three sweep. Sharika Nelvis ran 12.76 for second and Queen Harrison finished third with the same time.
On the men’s side, Ronnie Ash of USA came out on top in the 110m hurdles, after running 13.13. He defeated Aleec Harris, also of USA, 13.43.
In the women’s 100m, Americans English Gardner 11.04 (meet record), Alexandria Anderson 11.28 and Sholonda Solomon 11.36 were the top finishers.
Shimayra Williams of Jamaica topped the women’s 100m B race in 11.51 ahead of American Bianca Knight 11.63.
Francesca McCorory of USA won the women’s 400m in 50.73.
Bianca Stuart of the Bahamas, 6.52m, and Chantel Malone of BVI, 6.21m, finished second and third respectively in the women’s long jump, won by Kenyattia Hackworth 6.61m.
Bahamian Donald Thomas, the 2007 world champion, cleared 2.31m to beat fellow national representative Trevor Barry (2.25m) in the men’s high jump.
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