Jamaican Sprinters bow in 2010 Commonwealth Games

Jamaican Sprinters bow in 2010 Commonwealth Games


October 6, 2010
Jamaican trio Dorian Scott, Lerone Clarke and national 100m champion, Oshane Bailey, are expected to highlight Jamaica's forays onto the track, as athletics action at the 2010 Commonwealth Games gets under way today at the JN Stadium in Delhi, India.

With the country's more popular names all absent, many questions have been asked about the make-up of the team and its medal hopes. Many of those questions will be answered as the island's young team gets ready to leave a mark on the Indian capital.

Scott is no stranger to these Games and already has a medal to show after his effort at the 2006 edition in Melbourne, Australia, where he secured a silver medal.

The three-time Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games champion will look to continue his solid return from last year's surgery, when he lines up in the men's shot put event, which starts at 8:10 a.m. Jamaica time.

With a season's best distance of 20.55m Scott, a former Florida State University athlete, will enter the fray as one of the favourites for the gold medal, especially when considering the fact that the likes of Canada's Dylan Armstrong, who is the only Commonwealth athlete who has thrown further this season - with a 21.58m mark - is not present at the Games.

India's Sourabh Vij, who has thrown 20.65m, is, however, expected to pose a serious threat.

Jamaica's other entry in the shot put is Raymond Brown.

Meanwhile, Bailey has had a good year so far and is slowly showing that he can be a sprinting force in years to come. The 21-year-old announced his ambitions at the National Senior Champion-ships earlier this year, where he won the 100m in 10.14 seconds. There are not many here in Delhi who have gone faster this year.

Brightest prospect

The former Calabar schoolboy will line-up in heat four, in round one of the 100m, which starts at 7:10 a.m., after his former schoolmate, Ramone McKenzie, faces the starter in heat three.

Lerone Clarke, who has featured heavily on the European circuit this season and is the brightest prospect of the trio, will run in heat six.

Other Jamaicans down to compete at the JN Stadium are Yanique Boothe and Shanna Thomas in the women's 100m heats, which starts at 8 a.m.; Natalie Grant in the women's hammer throw at 8:50 a.m.; and the trio of Davita Prendergast, Dominique Blake and Nadia Cunningham in the women's 400m heats, which begin at 8:45 a.m.

In action yesterday, swimmer Alia Atkinson finished eighth in the final of the women's 50m breaststroke, at the Dr SPM Aquatics Complex, in a time of 32.48 seconds.

Leiston Pickett (Australia) won the gold medal in 30.84 seconds, while Leisel Jones, 31.10, also of Australia, took silver ahead of bronze medal winner, England's Kate Haywood, 31.17.

In the 100m backstroke event, Alexia Royal-Eatmon was seventh in 1:08.67 seconds, but her time was good enough for a reserve spot in the semi-finals.

The Sunshine Girls continued enhancing their medal aspirations, with a comfortable 71-48 win over Malawi, with Jhaniele Fowler, who started the game ahead of Romelda Aiken, leading the scoring at 85 per cent with 47 points from 55 attempts.

Jamaica's next game is against the mighty Australians, at 4:45 a.m.

Philip Bowes was too good for Indrajith Rajapaksha (Sri Lanka) in the boxing ring, while Jovan Young was also successful in his bout against Fairus Mohd from Malaysia, outscoring him 6-3 on the judges' scorecard.

In squash, Bruce Burrowes lost his second game, going down 3-1 to Michael Rucklinger of Papua New Guinea.