Sherone Simpson stormed through late to win the gold medal in the women’s 100 metres at the Pan American Games in Canada last night.
It was Jamaica’s second track and field gold at the Games. On Tuesday, O’Dayne Richards won the men’s shot put.
Simpson, who broke into tears when she saw the results, won in a season’s best 10.95 seconds ahead of Angella Tenora of Ecuador, 10.99 and American Barbara Pierre, third in 11.01.
“This is unbelievable. I can’t believe this. I just went out there and ran my own race as I just focused on myself … and I want to give God thanks and the people who all supported me to make this a reality,” said Simpson.
Jason Livermore was seventh in the men’s 100m final in 10.17 seconds. Canada’s AndrÈ Degrasse won in 10.06 seconds from Ramon Gittens of Barbados, 10.07, and Antoine Adams of St Kitts, 10.09.
Earlier national long jump champion Demar Forbes, who had qualified for the final on the opening day, failed to report to the start of his event after twisting his ankle in the warm-up track. The United States took gold and silver. Jeff Henderson, aided by a positive wind of 4.1 metres per second, took the gold with 8.54 metres. Marquiise Goodman took silver with 8.27m, aided by a 4.5mps wind while Uruguay’s Emilino Lasa, 8.17m, was third.
Kimora McDonald was eighth in the women’s 800m final in 2:04.37. Canada’s Melissa Bishop bagged gold in 1:59.62 from American Alysia Montano, 1:59.76, and Flavia Delino of Brazil, 2:00.40.
Danniel Thomas heaved a personal best 17.76m in the shot put but was only good enough for fifth. Cleopatra Borel of Trinidad and Tobago won gold with 18.67m; American Jillian Camarena, 18.57m, was second with bronze going to Natalia Duco of Chile, 17.84m.
In the early session on yesterday’s second day of competition, both Kimberly Williamson and Saniel Grier Atkinson were out of the medals in the women’s high jump final. Williamson cleared 1.88m for sixth, while Atkinson was ninth with a best of 1.80m.
St Lucia’s Lavern Spencer, 1.94m, won gold. Priscilla Fredricks of Antigua and Barbuda, 1.91m and Akela Jones of Barbados, also, 1.91m, were second and third respectively.
All six athletes who took the track in the morning session advanced to the finals of their events. In the women’s 400m, Anastasia Leroy finished fourth in her heat in 53.13 to qualify as one of the fastest losers while Chrisann Gordon finished third in her heat in 52.47 for automatic qualification. The final is slated for 6:10 pm today.
With no Jamaican entries in the men’s 400m, it was the duo of Ricardo Cunningham and Jowayne Hibbert who took to the track in the semi-final round of the 800m. Cunningham finished third in heat one in 1:49.22 while in heat two, Hibbert was second in 1:49.22 as both advanced to today’s final which will get under way at 5:40 pm.
Roxroy Cato and Leford Green, who are automatic qualifiers for Jamaica in the men’s 400 metres hurdles at next month’s World Championships in Beijing, both advanced easily to the final of their event. Cato finished second in his heat in 49.98, while Green won his heat in 50.51.