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Exciting times ahead <DIV class=KonaBody>
Exciting times are ahead for Jamaica's track and field.
With the world's fastest male and female sprinters now wearing Jamaican colours the island is poised to dominate the men's 100m and women's 100m and 200m events at next year's August 25-September 2 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
One year is a very long time in track and field but barring injury one cannot see anybody getting the better of 23-year-old Asafa Powell in the men's 100m, or Sherone Simpson, 22, in the women's 100m and 200m.
The Americans have been known to produce many good sprinters in a short time span but their programme has been severely damaged by the positive tests returned by ace sprinters Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones. In any case, drug-free sub-10 seconds male sprinters and sub-11 seconds female sprinters are not developed overnight and the Americans may well have to wait until the Beijing Olympics of 2008 to seriously challenge the Jamaican duo.
On the men's side Powell only came close to a recent defeat when he got up well behind the field in the Brussels <SPAN>Grand Prix</SPAN>. The world record holder at 9.77 seconds is surely the most dominant male 100m sprinter in a very long time. It will take injury or a very unlikely loss of form to see anybody beating him next year. American Tyson Gay has come closest in recent encounters but Gay, who is unlikely to try the 100m in any major meet, is a 200 metres runner who is usually coming when the shorter sprint is all over.
Simpson, on her showing in Berlin on Sunday, is becoming as dominant as Powell. She looked extremely good in clocking 10.92 in Berlin. The former Manchester High student had the field beaten after 30 metres and virtually coasted home in her fourth sub-11 seconds time of the six-race Golden League series.
The Commonwealth Games 200m champion turned around her 100m form in Rome on July 14 following defeats in Oslo by Bahamian Debbie Ferguson and in Paris by Marion Jones. Simpson was unbeaten in the next four. The best came in Rome where she clocked 10.87 in winning ahead of Jones.
fourth fastest
Simpson has not been seen much over 200m this season but has done well enough to post the fastest female time over the distance in 2006. Her 22.00 makes her the fourth fastest Jamaican ever behind Merlene Ottey's 21.64, Grace Jackson 21.72 and Juliet Cuthbert's 21.75.
But for injury Jamaica could well have had another female sprint star on the circuit. Two years ago 24-year-old Veronica Campbell, Olympic champion over 200m, was the darling of local track and field but is now playing second fiddle to Simpson. Her performances in 2004 and 2005 showed that Campbell, who ran a best of 10.85 for 100m in August 2005, has the potential to match the times now being set by Simpson. Her career has, however, been hit by injuries at crucial times and it is left to be seen how well she will do in 2007.
Jamaica needs a fit Campbell to again challenge the world in the women's 4x100m. It was in Japan, 15 years ago, that Jamaica's women won their first gold medal at a major world meet. Then Dahlia Duhaney, Juliet Cuthbert, Beverley McDonald and Merlene Ottey won the 4x100m in 41.94 at the 1991 IAAF World Champion-ships in Tokyo. It would be good if Jamaica could repeat that feat in another Japanese city.</DIV>
Exciting times are ahead for Jamaica's track and field.
With the world's fastest male and female sprinters now wearing Jamaican colours the island is poised to dominate the men's 100m and women's 100m and 200m events at next year's August 25-September 2 IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
One year is a very long time in track and field but barring injury one cannot see anybody getting the better of 23-year-old Asafa Powell in the men's 100m, or Sherone Simpson, 22, in the women's 100m and 200m.
The Americans have been known to produce many good sprinters in a short time span but their programme has been severely damaged by the positive tests returned by ace sprinters Justin Gatlin and Marion Jones. In any case, drug-free sub-10 seconds male sprinters and sub-11 seconds female sprinters are not developed overnight and the Americans may well have to wait until the Beijing Olympics of 2008 to seriously challenge the Jamaican duo.
On the men's side Powell only came close to a recent defeat when he got up well behind the field in the Brussels <SPAN>Grand Prix</SPAN>. The world record holder at 9.77 seconds is surely the most dominant male 100m sprinter in a very long time. It will take injury or a very unlikely loss of form to see anybody beating him next year. American Tyson Gay has come closest in recent encounters but Gay, who is unlikely to try the 100m in any major meet, is a 200 metres runner who is usually coming when the shorter sprint is all over.
Simpson, on her showing in Berlin on Sunday, is becoming as dominant as Powell. She looked extremely good in clocking 10.92 in Berlin. The former Manchester High student had the field beaten after 30 metres and virtually coasted home in her fourth sub-11 seconds time of the six-race Golden League series.
The Commonwealth Games 200m champion turned around her 100m form in Rome on July 14 following defeats in Oslo by Bahamian Debbie Ferguson and in Paris by Marion Jones. Simpson was unbeaten in the next four. The best came in Rome where she clocked 10.87 in winning ahead of Jones.
fourth fastest
Simpson has not been seen much over 200m this season but has done well enough to post the fastest female time over the distance in 2006. Her 22.00 makes her the fourth fastest Jamaican ever behind Merlene Ottey's 21.64, Grace Jackson 21.72 and Juliet Cuthbert's 21.75.
But for injury Jamaica could well have had another female sprint star on the circuit. Two years ago 24-year-old Veronica Campbell, Olympic champion over 200m, was the darling of local track and field but is now playing second fiddle to Simpson. Her performances in 2004 and 2005 showed that Campbell, who ran a best of 10.85 for 100m in August 2005, has the potential to match the times now being set by Simpson. Her career has, however, been hit by injuries at crucial times and it is left to be seen how well she will do in 2007.
Jamaica needs a fit Campbell to again challenge the world in the women's 4x100m. It was in Japan, 15 years ago, that Jamaica's women won their first gold medal at a major world meet. Then Dahlia Duhaney, Juliet Cuthbert, Beverley McDonald and Merlene Ottey won the 4x100m in 41.94 at the 1991 IAAF World Champion-ships in Tokyo. It would be good if Jamaica could repeat that feat in another Japanese city.</DIV>
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