FALLON?FORDE?was only required to run 200 metres last night, but after claiming his first national title, he could not contain himself, pointing towards the fans in the stands and then running almost to the flagpoles before kneeling to the ground.
Forde, who entered with the fastest qualifying time of 21.20 seconds, clocked a personal best 20.89 in the National Championships in Athletics at the National Stadium.
It has been a phenomenal season for the young man who represented Barbados at the World Relay Championships in The Bahamas, as he also qualified for the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
Nicholas Deshong seemed to have the race all wrapped up coming out of the turn, until Forde blew past him and kept running. Deshong was second in 21.10 and Jermain Hinds third in 21.32. There were also personal bests for juniors Ramarco Thompson (21.53) and Kentoine Browne (21.55), but once again, Mario Burke did not compete, withdrawing before the heats.
Jade Bailey wrapped up the local season with double national titles this weekend. She dismissed the field in the 200 metres, winning in a Commonwealth Games-qualifying time of 23.19 seconds, ahead of Kierre Beckles (23.52) and Sada Williams (24.09).
Bailey had also set a new meet record of 11.44 seconds in the women’s 100 metres on Saturday, erasing her own 11.48 from 2008. Tristan Evelyn was second in 11.70 to qualify for World Juniors, and Akela Jones recovered from a slow start to finish third in 11.76.
Danae Gill (25.17) and Juwan Augustin-Mayers (22.53) won the respective Under-18 200m events.
The other highlight of the day came from Rivaldo Leacock. Stepping up to the 400m hurdles for men, the 16-year-old stunned the field with a personal best clocking of 51.70 seconds, qualifying for the World Junior Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Jerrad Mason, who had previously qualified, lowered his time to 51.91 and Kion Joseph was third in 52.25.
Fastest man
Tia-Adana Belle had no one to run with her, so she took on the ten barriers from lane seven, finishing in 58.26 seconds.
Tre Hinds is the new men’s 800 metres champion. He passed Hakeem Newton (1:57.19) on the straight to win in 1:56.12. Theo Greenidge won the Under-18 boys’ race in 2:03.30 and Anya Williams the women’s event in 2:24.42.
Visitor Elizabeth Renondeau won the women’s 3 000 metres in 11:28.02, but it was Carlie Pipe, who finished second in 11:28.97, who claimed national honours.
Andrew Hinds will hold bragging rights as the fastest man in Barbados after winning the men’s 100 metres in 10.19 seconds late Saturday night.
Ramon Gittens was second in 10.22 seconds, the defeat denying him a three-peat of the title. Jermain Hinds was third in 10.53 seconds.
Thirteen-year-old Akayla Morris won the Under-18 Girls’ final in 12.44 seconds.
With his trademark late run, Fabian Norgrove retained his title in the men’s 400m, clocking 46.75 seconds. Norgrove overtook early leader Mason (47.81), and powered away from Christopher Davis (47.31) and Anderson Devonish (47.36) for the victory. Akeem McCollin was the winner of the “B” final in 48.97 seconds.
Running out of lane eight, Sade Sealy forced everyone to come after her as she took her fifth national women’s 400 metres title in seven years, clocking 53.29 seconds. CARIFTA gold medallist Williams was second in 55.52 and Sharon Larrier (55.81) third.
Joshua Hunte won the men’s 1 500 metres with a time of 4 minutes 03.59 seconds, almost 30 seconds faster than Jerome Blackett. David Yearwood (4:37.91) and Elizabeth Williams (5:02.43) won the Under-18 events.
In the field events, Hayley Matthews took the javelin title with a throw of 42.53 metres; Ashley Williams won the shot put with 12.58m; Triston Gibbons, the Under-18 Boys’ discus with 35.35m and Tristan Whitehall the men’s discus with 46.89m.
