ONTARIO, Canada, CMC – Jamaican world record holder Usain Bolt easily won the men’s 100 metres at the Festival of Excellence track and field meeting last night.
The 22-year-old Bolt accelerated away from his rivals over the second half of the race and won in 10.00 seconds, chased by the Americans Shawn rawford
(10.26) and Ivory Williams (10.28) at the University of Toronto, Varsity Centre.
It was the first international 100-metre run this season for Bolt, a triple Olympic gold medallist last year, who is targeting the sprint double at the IAAF World Championship in Berlin in August.
On a rainy evening at the 7,000-seater Varsity Stadium, the race was delayed by two false starts, the second resulting in the disqualification of the Jamaican Marvin Anderson.
Run against a minus 0-9 metres per second wind, the event was competitive until the 6-foot-5-inch Bolt got into full stride and pulled clear of Crawford and Williams for an easy win a day after he was named 2008 Laureus Sportsman of the Year.
American Bernard Williams was fourth in 10.47 seconds and Jamaican Mario Forsythe fifth in 10.48.
In the co-main event on the programme, Olympic bronze medallist Priscilla Lopes-Schliep edged 2003 World Champion Perdita Felicien in a Canadian one-two finish in the 100-metre hurdles which was contested in a minus 1.8 mps head-wind.
Lopes-Schliep won in 12.86 seconds ahead of Felicien (12.88) with American Damu Cherry third in 13.01.
Jamaicans Nickeisha Wilson (13.14) and Andrea Bliss (13.45) were fourth and seventh, respectively American Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt won the men’s 400 metres in 44.83 seconds.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Ato Stephens was second in 45.34 seconds followed by
Bahamian Andrae Williams (45.72) and Jamaican Sanjay Ayre (45.81).
Other Jamaicans in the race Jermaine Gonzalez (46.41) and Ricardo Chambers (46.59) were seventh and eighth, respectively.
Jamaican Sonita Sutherland (54.35) was seventh in the women’s 400 won by American Shana Cox (51.44) and T&T’s Sherridan Kirk (1:49.07) was seventh in the men’s 800, won by American Khadevis Robinson (1:45.73).
