Chat-bout.net - Bolt loses 11-year Champs record

Bolt loses 11-year Champs record

Javon 'Donkey Man' Francis smashed a record held by World and Olympic champion Usain Bolt as the green and black Calabar High School from Red Hills Road in St Andrew made it a three-peat at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships, which ended on Saturday.

Calabar's Jovon Francis

In the meantime, the overwhelming favourites, Edwin Allen from Frankfield in Clarendon is celebrating another hold on the girls' crown.

In a championships highlighted by superlative performances from the young athletes, with as many as 23 records broken, the Calabar team leader, Francis, again proved his class by breaking the Bolt's Class One 400m Champs record.

Injury forced Francis from pushing for another individual medal in the Class One 200m, but the jam-packed National Stadium was still abuzz with excitement following his performance in the 400m, which the flash time indicated to be the first Jamaican schoolboy to dip below 45.00 seconds.

The official time was given as 45.00 seconds, which bettered Bolt's 45.35 mark set in 2003.

World Youth champion Jaheel Hyde of Wolmer's completed the hurdles double, taking the boys' Class One 110m hurdles in a crisp 13.53 seconds to beat Jamaica College's Tyler Mason (13.55).

Hyde, son of former outstanding national footballer, Lenworth Hyde, had also won the 400m hurdles in a record time of 49.49 seconds on Friday.

The highly anticipated 200m clash between new Class One boys champion and record holder Zharnel Hughes of Kingston College and Bog Walk's Jevaughn Minzie failed to materialise as the KC sprinter was forced to pull out because of an unspecified injury.

In his absence, Minzie won the gold in a time of 20.50 seconds, with Martin Manley of St Jago second in 20.73, and Calabar's Michael O'Hara, the pre-season favourite, finishing third in 20.86.

"Zharnel's absence did affect me a little because it meant I had no one that quick in front me as a target, but he did speak with me in the semi-finals and offered some encouragement, which I appreciated," said Manley.

On the girls' side, Edwin Allen picked up points solidly throughout the championships and capped the victory, with the outstanding Christania Williams leading the team to a record 44.17-second run in the Class One 4x100m, while the girls' sprint medley team won in a new record time of 4:00.47 seconds.

Mellicia Gordon of St Jago also shattered the girls' Class Four 70m hurdles record in 10.49, bettering the previous mark held since 1993 by Tulia Robinson.

In the field, it was also a successful day for Edwin Allen's Class One shot-putter, Rochelle Frazer, who broke her newly established record twice before settling the final with another outstanding throw of 13.70m, a record mark to seal her gold-medal performance.

Source: Jamaica Gleaner

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