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Ferguson leads four Caribbean wins in Belgrade

Thursday, June 15, 2006

by: Gary Smith

Caribbean Net News Sports Correspondent

Email: gary@caribbeannetnews.com

BELGRADE, Serbia: In-form Bahamian sprinter Debbie Ferguson, the 2002 Commonwealth Games sprint double champion, continued her impressive showing in the outdoor season this year when she won the women's 100-metre dash at the Artur Takac Memorial meeting in Belgrade last Wednesday (7 June).

The Caribbean also had three other competitors on the top podium as Jamaicans Dwight Thomas, Sanjay Ayre and Elva Goulbourne won their respective events at the 2006 meeting.

In cold and rainy conditions, Ferguson, who has been fruitful on the circuit thus far, won the women's short sprint in a time of 11.24 seconds. The 2000 Sydney Olympic Games relay gold medallist defeated Ukraine's former world champion Zhanna Block - 11.34 and American Stephanie Durst - 11.48.

LaVerne Jones of the Virgin Islands, who was a semi-finallist at the 11th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Moscow, Russia earlier this year, was seventh in 11.74.

Thomas, who trains with joint world record holder Justin Gatlin in the U.S., won the men's race in 10.34, beating out Canadian Pierre Brown (10.36) and American Kaaron Conwright (10.38) at the line.

Trinidadian Jacey Harper was unable to get things going in the rain and could only manage 10.53 for sixth, while World bronze medallist Kim Collins, the St. Kitts and Nevis sprint hero continues to struggle in his come-back this season as he finished behind the field in 10.59.

Ayre made it win number two for Jamaica by taking the men's 400m in 46.40. Ayre defeated fellow Islander Carlos Santa of Dominica, who crossed the finish line in 46.75 and Belgium's Cedric VanBranteghem - 46.76. Former Jamaican national champion Lansford Spence had a 48.51 performance, which gave him fifth place.

The Caribbean's fourth win and Jamaica's third at the meet came in the sands when Goulbourne out-jumped her competitors to win the women's long jump with a -0.2 m/s 6.46m jump. Rose Richmond of USA took second with a leap of 6.33m.

Despite being one of two competitors assisted by a positive reading, Bahamian Jackie Edwards only jumped 5.90m to finish bottom of the 8 competitor field.

In another female event, Haiti's Nadine Faustin clocked 13.07 seconds for second in the women's 100m hurdles, the same race Jamaica's Andrea Bliss took second in with 13.20.

SELECTED RESULTS

Men

100m A

1. Dwight Thomas JAM 10.34

2. Pierre Brown CAN 10.36

3. Kaaron Conwright USA 10.38

6. Jacey Harper TRI 10.53

8. Kim Collins SKN 10.59

400m

1. Sanjay Ayre JAM 46.40

2. Carlos Santa DOM 46.75

3. Cedric VanBranteghem BEL 46.76

4. Dale Garland GBR 47.05

5. Lansford Spence JAM 48.51

Women

100m

1. Debbie Ferguson BAH 11.24

2. Zhanna Block UKR 11.34

3. Stephanie Durst USA 11.48

7. LaVerne Jones ISV 11.74

100m Hurdles

1. Aurelia Trywianska POL 12.92

2. Nadine Faustin HAI 13.07

3. Anjanette Kirkland USA 13.19

4. Andrea Bliss JAM 13.20

Long Jump

1. Elva Goulbourne JAM 6.46

2. Rose Richmond USA 6.33

3. Ivana Spanovic SCG 6.22

8. Jackie Edwards BAH 5.90