Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships

The excitement of the 100m finals didn’t disappoint the spectators at Jamaica’s National Senior trials for the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Korea this August. Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown won the finals in a tight race and amidst controversy.

The men’s race came down to a photo finish with Asafa Powell, winning the finals (10.08) while Yohan Blake (10.09) and Steve Mullings (10.10) secured the other spots for the upcoming championships. 

Usain Bolt, reigning world champion in 100m and 200m, received an automatic bye to the World Championship and chose not to run.  

Although it rained lightly throughout the night, grandstand seats were sold out.  Spectators in the uncovered areas of the grandstand and the bleachers sat content under their oversized umbrellas.

The men’s 100m was the most anticipated race in the week. With seven Jamaicans running under 10 seconds this year, fans in the country weren’t sure who would qualify for the team.  Someone would have to be cut.  It’s an embarrassment of riches for a country to even have the discussion of cutting someone who can run under 10 seconds.

All the momentum seemed behind Steve Mullings after his win over Tyson Gay at the Adidas Grand Prix in New York earlier in the month.  Fans wanted Powell, former world record holder and two-time world champion bronze medalist, to win but they were worried he might not be able to beat Mullings and Blake.  Last night he silenced anyone who doubted his desire and talents saying the race “is not really a little boy thing, is a big man thing and we're not playing with anybody out there.”

However, it wasn’t an easy win.  “It wasn’t a good race. I got a very bad start,” said Powell.  “Me and Steve Mullings, we knocked hands at the start and I almost fell but I managed to get back to the front.”

Although Mullings was the main threat to Powell, he too had a difficult race.  “I cramped up after the semi-finals,” he said.  “I was hurting really really bad and I was just praying to God ‘please let me, please let me get through.’ ”

NO TYSON GAY

When the meet announcer told the audience Tyson Gay was injured and out for the season, the audience exclaimed a collective “AH.” 

Gay is beloved in Jamaica.  In 2010, at the Jamaica International Invitational he ran the 400m.  The crowd erupted into applause when his name was announced and he finished racing.  So it was a great shock to athletes and fans to know he was injured and wouldn’t be competing. 

“I feel bad for him,” said Mullings who is Gay’s training partner. “I was talking to him last night and he says he was hurting and I tell him ‘just take it easy, come back next year,’ and that’s what he did.”

Powell, also weighed in on Gay’s absence saying  “it’s unfortunate I hope he can come back.”

Jamaican track and field fans also felt the impact of Gay not competing at the world championship. “It’s a blow,” said Kevin Jones.  “In my opinion he’s really the only other 100m meter [runner] who has the guts and the temerity to stand up to Usain Bolt. I would have like to have seen him there because it would have made for a faster race and made for a lot more excitement for the world championships. 

“For the Jamaican fans, however, their eyes are lit up like diamonds because they’re relishing a one, two, three finish because of the quality of the field that they have.”    

WOMEN’S 100m                                                                                                                  

Gay and Powell weren’t the only news at the national senior trials. Veronica Campbell-Brown, 100m world champion in 2007, ran in the first of three semi-final heats of the race.  The crowd was screaming and blowing horns and was asked several times by the announcer to be quiet so the athletes could hear the gun.

When the gun exploded Melissa Wallace in lane 7 had a false start.  At the second gun, it appeared Campbell-Brown, in lane six, might have also false started.  As she returned to her starting block, the crowd was even more silent than at the beginning of the race, awaiting the result.  A meet official raised a green card and ruled her start a technical foul.  She was allowed to run and easily won her heat then the finals.

Immediately speculation arose that Jamaica was giving their sprint princess special favors.  Arguments were raised that if Campbell-Brown did false start she should have been disqualified.  However, counter points were made pointing to a decision to keep Allyson Felix who appeared to false start in the 400m earlier this month at the Prefontaine Classic.  

Kerron Stewart, Beijing silver medalist in the 100m, came in second at 10.97 and high school sensation, Jura Levy, third at 11.10.  Levy finished ahead of Sherone Simpson, who also won a sliver medal in the 100m in Bejing. 

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, reigning 100m world champion also chose to utilize her bye and not to run.

Fans cheered when Usain Bolt ran on the outside of the track waving to them.  He hung around just long enough to see the 100m finals.  The crowd was also happy at the wins of Kalise Spencer in the 400m Hurdles and Kenia Sinclair 1500m.  By the end of the meet they filtered out relishing the races they saw.  They are excited to be sending their best sprinters to Daegu.