BIRMINGHAM, England – Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah and Hansle Parchment headlined several Caribbean athletes qualifying for the next round of their track and field disciplines at the Commonwealth Games here Tuesday.
Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah.Thompson-Herah clocked 10.99 seconds in the women’s 100 meters to easily advance along with nine other runners from the region while fellow Jamaican Parchment was timed at 13.33 seconds in capturing the opening heat of the men’s sprint hurdles.
Both athletes tasted disappointed at last month’s World Championships in Eugene. Thompson finished with bronze in the 100 meters and outside the medals in the 200m while Parchment pulled up ahead of the sprint hurdles finals.
Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye was also in winner’s row on Tuesday, clocking 11.14 to win heat five, leading home second placed Bahamian Tynia Gaither in 11.19.
Jamaican Natalliah Whyte (11.31) clinched heat six while St Lucian Julien Alfred (11.24) won heat seven, leading home Jamaican Remona Burchell who finished second in 11.48.
Antigua Joella Lloyd (11.42), meanwhile, finished third in heat three behind Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.02) while Guyana’s Jasmine Abrams (11.41) was third in heat four
In the men’s 100 meters opening round, Trinidadian Jarod Elcock won the final of ten heats in a time of 10.26, pulling home Guyanese Emanuel Archibald (10.28) and Stephan Charles of St Lucia (10.29).
His was one of two Caribbean victories as Jamaican Conroy Jones (10.28) took heat eight, ten Caribbean athletes advancing to the next round of the competition.
Parchment led home fellow countryman Orlando Bennett (13.40) in the hurdles while Barbadian Shane Brathwaite (13.42) finished fourth to also advance.
Jamaican Rasheed Broadbell captured the second heat in 13.16 to ensure four Caribbean sprinters in Thursday’s final.
In the men’s 400 meters hurdles, reigning champion Kyron McMaster of British Virgin Islands finished second in heat two to reach the final, clocking 49.78 seconds behind winner Jaheel Hyde of Jamaica (49.60).
