Hinds, the 2006 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) bronze medallist over 200 metres, was timed at 10.31 seconds. The race was won by Carl Barrett of GC Foster College in 10.25 seconds, while Daniel Bailey of the High Performance Training Centre was second in 10.28 seconds.

The race was between these three, as the photo finish showed a wide gap between them and the fourth-placed runner who was clocked at 10.56.

Jade Bailey, the three-time national champion and CAC bronze medallist, finished a disappointing sixth in the star-studded 200 metres field.

Her time of 24.23 seconds was more than two seconds slower than American Rachelle Smith in 22.65 seconds while two of Jamaica's 2004 Olympic 4x100 metres relay gold medallists Sheron Simpson (22.76) and Aleen Bailey (23.11) were second and third respectively. It was also much slower than her 23.31 in Colombia last year.

Hurdler Andrea Blackett didn't compete at the meet.

Hinds has been training with world 100 metres record holder Asafa Powell in Kingston, and has been steadily reducing his times. At the National Championships last year, his winning time was 10.38 seconds, down from 10.52 the previous year and 10.42 when he was second behind Obadele Thompson in 2004.

In the process, Hinds has surpassed the qualifying time of 10.35 seconds for the North America Central America and Caribbean Championships and the Pan Am Games, but was just short of the 10.28 men's B qualifying time for the World Championships.

Hinds is one of 12 Barbadians who will be in Venezuela for the 2nd Alba Games this week. (SAT)