Baptiste beats Olympic champion for 100m gold

T&T’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste sent a strong warning to her Jamaican and American rivals ahead of next month’s World Track and Field Championships, when she roared to victory in the women’s 100 metres at the Samsung Diamond League Paris Leg in the Stade de France, Paris yesterday.  A late surge by Baptiste saw her clock a quick 10.91 seconds with a +0.6m/s tailwin, to beat double Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica (10.95) and another Jamaican, 2009 World 100m silver medallist Kerron Stewart (11.04). Baptiste’s winning time is a new season best, improving on the 10.94 she set in finishing second at the Jamaican Invitational on May 7.

The 2003 World Youth bronze medallist beat a quality field. The national record holder (10.84) whipped Bulgarian Ivet Lalova who has run 10.96 earlier this season. The Bulgarian was fourth in 11.18. This year’s American 200m champion Shalonda Solomon was fifth (11.19) with multiple Olympic medallist Sherone Simpson of Jamaica in sixth (11.33). With her win, Baptiste is third (4 points) on the Diamond League 100m rankings behind Campbell-Brown and Carmelita Jeter of the USA, who are both in first on six points. The triumph comes with less than two months to go to the World Championships. Baptiste, who has been racing sparingly in the first half of this year, will be aiming to make her first finish in her third World Championships. She bowed out at the semifinal stage at the last edition of the meet in Berlin, Germany in August 2009.

Caption: Kelly-Ann Baptiste of T&T wins the 100m women’s race at the AF Diamond League athletics meeting at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, yesterday. She ran 10.91 seconds. AP Photo

The 2003 World Youth bronze medallist took her second French win of the week after winning in Reims on Tuesday in 11.11 seconds. T&T athletes have been enjoying racing in France as Keston Bledman was first in Sotteville in 10.25, a week ago. In the Men’s 200m, Rondel Sorillo was fifth in 20.81. The two time national champion started on the outside lane was well behind World and Olympic Champion Usain Bolt. The Jamaican world record holder got to the line in 20.03. European champion Christophe Lemaitre of France was second in 20.21 with American Darvis Patton (20.59) and Mario Forsythe of Jamaica (20.61) all getting to the line ahead of Sorillo.

RESULTS

Women’s 100m (+0.6)
1    Kelly Baptiste    T&T    10.91 (SB)
2    Veronica Campbell-Brown    Jamaica    10.95
3    Kerron Stewart    Jamaica    11.04
4    Ivet Lalova    Bulgaria    11.18
5    Shalonda Solomon    USA    11.19
6    Sherone Simpson    Jamaica    11.33
7    Veronique Mang    France    11.33
8    Myriam Soumare    France    11.36
9    Lashaunatea Moore    USA    11.89

Men’s 200
1    Usain Bolt    Jamaica    20.03
2    Christoph Lemaitre    France    20.21
3    Darvis Patton    USA    20.59
4    Mario Forsythe    Jamaica    20.61
5    Rondell Sorillo    T&T    20.81
6    Teddy Tinmar    France    21.15
7    Shawn Crawford    USA    22.17
dns     Alonso Edwards    Panama