By Mellissa Henry, World-Track
Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown shrugged off a slight headwind to win the women’s 200m dash at the 15th ‘Míting Internacional d´Atletisme Ciutat de Barcelona’ in Barcelona on Saturday.
The Jamaican clocked 22.37seconds in a -0.6m/s headwind to finish ahead of compatriot Simone Facey, who ran 22.87 for second place with American Ebony Floyd taking third with 22.97.
Campbell-Brown, who is currently preparing for the defense of her 100m title at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany in August, was running her fastest time of the year.
The mark bettered the 22.40 she clocked to win the Jamaican trials in June.
“I’m satisfied with today’s result as my main goal was to stay healthy and injury-free after the race," the champion said. " It would have been nice to have clocked 22-low but it’s still enough time for Berlin to regain my best form."
The men’s race went to Panama’s star sprinter Alonso Edward, who posted 20.25 (-1.0m/s) to fend-off the challenges of American Darvis Patton, the second place finisher in 20.32 and Jamaica’s Steve Mullings, who stopped the clock at 20.41 for third.
"I had a bad start and then had to fight very hard to win this race," Edward said. "I like this track because it’s very fast and hope to come back to Barcelona next year "
Meanwhile, Gary Kikaya from the Republic of the Congo and American Natasha Hastings won the men’s and women’s respective 400m titles.
Hasting covered the one lap event in 51.30 to beat Cuba’s Indira Terrero (51.87) and USA’s Shareese Woods (51.98).
Kikaya and Ireland’s David Gillick featured in a well contested men’s race with the experienced African record holder coming out on top in a time of 45.35.
Gillick was just behind in 45.48 with U.S. Virgin Islands’ Henry Tabarie taking third place in 45.54.
In other results, Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski turned the tables on American Christian Cantwell to win the men’s shot put, while American Jason Richardson won the men’s 110m hurdles.
After finishing third at the London Grand Prix on Friday, the Polish ace returned today to set a seasonal best and meet record mark of 21.64m to beat London champion Cantwell (20.85m) and Belarusian Olympic bronze medallist and former world champion Andrei Mikhnevich (20.78).
Richardson posted 13.39 to win the sprint hurdles over Jamaica’s Dwight Thomas, who finished second in 13.41. The meeting also saw Spain’s Marta Domínguez producing a the vintage performance at the super world-leading 9:09.39 performance to win the women’s 3000m Steeplechase.
"Today I had to try many things and I am very pleased," Domínguez said. Now I will continue working towards Berlin to adjust a few things and improve the speed."
