Jehue Gordon continued his build up for the World Championships by clocking a season's best time of 48.75 seconds in the men's 400m at the Sagicor Open Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium yesterday. Gordon started quickly in lane four and was ahead by the third hurdle. The reigning World Junior champion extended his lead and came into the final stretch well ahead and won comfortably from Jamele Mason of Puerto Rico (50.19), former national junior record holder Emmanuel Mayers (50.43) and 2010 World Junior bronze medallist Leslie Murray of the USVI (40.48). Gordon's time is a stadium record bettering the 48.92 he set at the Hampton Games on July 24 and also improved the championship mark of 49.96 he established in winning last year. His clocking puts the 19-year old 13th on the 2011 performance list. Gordon holds the national record of 48.26 which he set in finishing fourth at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Janiel Bellille captured the ladies race in 59.25 seconds, well off her World Championships B qualifying time of 55.80 set back in April.
In the other feature event, Rondel Sorillo blasted to a personal best of 20.16 seconds in taking his third national 200m title. The La Brea runner, who warmed up with a seventh place in the 100 dash one day earlier, got to the line ahead of teenager Moriba Morain in 20.80 seconds with quartermiler Lalonde Gordon taking bronze in 21.03. Sorillo's time improves his 20.29 clocking which he set in 2010 the year he won the NCAA Division one outdoor title for Kentucky University. The 25-year old moves to second on T&T's all-time list behind Ato Boldon (19.77). In the prelims earlier, Sorillo topped his heat in 21.35 ahead of Jevon Toppin (Memphis), 21.56, and Travis Fredrick of Quantum , 21.61. Gordon took the second race in 21.34 ahead of Quantum's Jamil James, 21.63 while Callender captured the third and final heat in 21.62 ahead of Morain (Simplex) 21.67 and Quantum runner Jereem Richards 21.76.
Kai Selvon claimed the women's 200m dash in 23.27 seconds. Running into 1.9m/s wind Selvon got to the line ahead of Reyare Thomas who finishly strong to take silver in 23.53. Virgil Hodge (St. Kitts/Nevis) was third in 24.09 seconds.
In the field events, Quincy Wilson was in record breaking form again. The muscular Health Olympian thrower defied the challenges of competing alone to reset the national discus mark to 59.60m. Wilson improved the previous distance of 58.66 which he established at the Hampton Games on July 24. Wilson competed the double after taking the shot put on Saturday with a throw of 16.10m. It was also double success for Annie Alexander who added the women's shot put to her discus title with a distance of 16.53. The Burnley thrower finished ahead of Gwendolyn Smith (Petrotrin Palo Seco 12.34m) and Burnley team-mate Shaunna Downey (11.00m). Gwendolyn Smith took the women's javelin crown with 40.75m. The two-time double World Masters silver medallist won ahead of Natika Frederick (Morvant Jets) 34.80m and Sandra Greenidge (Eastonians) 26.03m. Mark London raced to gold in the men's 800m in 1:54:23. The 2010 double Carifta champion finished ahead of Sterlen Paul (Neon Trackers) 1:55:06 and Quantum's Denny Gualbance, 1:55:40. Dawnel Collymore took the ladies two lap race in 2:17:37 beating Kervelle Baird (Petrorin Palo Seco) 2:34:60.