media_artricles :: 2012

Bledman blazes Crawford track

Keston Bledman lived up to the expectations of fans at the Hasely Crawford Stadium yesterday when he took gold in the Manny Ramjohn Invitational Games invitational men's 100 metres event in a quick 10.13 seconds.

Bledman did not have the best of starts but he came through at the halfway stage to take command and hold off a determined challenge from Jamaica's Sheldon Mitchell.

Mitchell returned a time of 10.17 while Emmanuel Callender produced a late surge to grab third in 10.36.

Ivory Coast's Muriel Ahoure was quickest out of the blocks in the invitational women's 100 metres and she pulled away for a comfortable win in a decent 11.15 seconds. Laverne Ferrette-Jones of the US Virgin Islands was second in 11.35 and Canada's Shari-Ann Davis third in 11.39.

Mitchell was an earlier winner on the programme when he defied all to win the men's invitational 200 metres event in a driving finish, from Antoine Adams of the USA and Jamaica's Oshane Bailey.

Bledman was first out of the blocks and led the field into the homestretch but eased right down when the top three delivered their challenge about 40 metres from home.

Mitchell, a double sprint gold medalist at this year's Southern Games, stopped the clock at 20.62 seconds with Adams getting home in 20.68 and Bailey 20.87

In the women's version, USA's Tameka Williams registered a time of 23.11 seconds to get the better of the Canadian pair of Crystal Emmanuel, 23.40, and Shai-Ann Davis, 23.41

Michael Mathieu of the Bahamas won gold in the men's invitational 400 metres when he sprinted away from his opponents down the backstretch to come home unchallenged in 45.46 seconds. Jamaica's Oral Thompson took second in 46.56 with Jehue Gordon of T&T third in 46.79

And Jamaica's Patricia Hall took top spot in the women's 400 metres invitational when she wore down Nigeria's Idara Otu in the final 100 metres. The Nigerian made a bold move 300 metres out and quickly separated herself from her challengers. However, Hall collared and went by her with a sustained drive to get home in 51.59 seconds.

Otu held second in 52.38, while St Kitts and Nevis' Tiandra Ponteen took third in 53.22 seconds.

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