Shelly shines again but hurdles stars to miss Games

Yesterday's final day of the JAAA National Senior Championships was one of mixed fortune for some of the island's top performers.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was again the top performer as she completed the sprint double with a massive personal best of 21.79 seconds in the women's 200m final. Fraser-Pryce had earlier won the 100m final on Friday night. Like she did on Friday, Shericka Jackson was second in a lifetime best 21.82 as Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah had to settle for third in 22.02.

Rasheed Dwyer of SprinTec, the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, took the men's 200m in 20.17, beating Yohan Blake (20.18) as both athletes attained the Olympic qualifying standard. Tyquendo Tracy, the 100m champion, was third in 20.34. Two sensational upsets in the men's and women's sprint hurdles shared the spotlight as two of the country's pre-meet medal hopes in Tokyo will be watching the Games on television. In the women's event, former national champion Megan Tapper, the sixth fastest Jamaican this season with a best of 12.87, pulled off the upset. Running out of lane eight, she flew home late to win in a season's best 12.68 seconds. Yanique Thompson of SprinTec who came into the championships at 11th best this season with 13.09, clocked 12.73 for second, while pre-race favourite Britney Anderson, the number one Jamaican in the event this season with 12.58, was third in 12.75. Danielle Williams, the second fastest Jamaican with 12.65, could only manage fourth in 12.79 and for the second time in a row the 2015 World champion will miss the Games after failing to finish at the last Olympic trials.

Big favourite

Olympic champion Omar McLeod, the world number two in the men's 110m hurdles with 13.01, was the big favourite to win after being unbeaten all season. However, he hit the first hurdle and did not recover. Ronald Levy won in a season's best 13.10, while Damion Thomas was second in a personal best 13.11 and Hansle Parchment was third in season's best 13.16. McLeod (16.22) jogged across the finish line in eighth and last place.

The women's 400m saw the first two going sub-50 seconds for the first time. Stephenie Ann McPherson of MVP won in 49.61 ahead of UWI's Candice McLeod (49.91). Roneish McGregor of Puma also ran a personal best 50.02 for third. Sean Bailey of the University of Texas, El Paso, won the men's event in 45.04. Christopher Taylor of Tumbleweed Track Club was second in 45.13, while Karayne Bartley of Texas Tech University was third in 45.17.