Richard “Torpedo” Thompson and Michelle-Lee Ahye produced a pair of sizzling performances at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, on Saturday (21) at the Trinidad and Tobago Championships.
Thompson, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist, broke his own national record, bolting to victory in the men’s 100m final in a world-leading 9.82. It was 0.03 faster than the previous record he set in 2011 on the same track.
“I’m thrilled with the performance,” Thompson told the Trinidad Express. “I didn’t come in chasing any time. The national record was the furthest thing from my mind. I knew I had a quality field to deal with, people like Rondel Sorrillo, Darrel Brown, Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, the usual suspects.”
By midpoint in the race, Thompson looked a winner, the Louisiana-based sprinter motoring to the line ahead of defending champion Bledman, the eventual silver medallist in 10.00. There was a welcome return to form for Brown, the former world junior champion earning bronze in 10.05. Burns (10.21) and Sorrillo (10.23) finished fourth and fifth respectively.
Ahye was also on fire at the Crawford Stadium, seizing gold in the women’s 100m in 10.88, having earlier clocked a world-leading 10.85 in the semi-final.
In the final, Ahye darted to the front, and then opened up a huge gap on her rivals, Kai Selvon finishing a distant second in 11.32.
Before this weekend, the 22-year-old sprinter had a personal best of 11.04. She has now moved to second on the Trinidad and Tobago all-time list and is just 0.02 away from the national record.
“It was unexpected,” said Ahye. “For the semis I was like wow. I was shocked. I was very excited.”
Janeil Bellille erased a 16-year-old national record from the books. The Texas A&M University student won the women’s 400m in 51.83, bettering the 51.96 standard established by Beverly Pierre back in 1998.
Renny Quow won the men’s 400m title, edging Lalonde Gordon into second spot. Both athletes clocked 45.08, but Quow had the edge in the photo finish, beating his rival by four thousandths of a second. Jarrin Solomon bagged bronze in 45.59.
At the top of the home straight, Gordon was in front, but Quow reeled in the Olympic bronze medallist close to the end, before out-leaning him at the line.
Wayne Davis was superb in the 110m hurdles, securing gold in a championship record of 13.21. It also broke the Trinidad and Tobago all-comers’ record, set by Roger Kingdom back in 1985. Mikel Thomas – whose national record is just 0.02 than Davis’s winning time – picked up silver in 13.45, while bronze went to Durell Busby in 13.64.