Leighton Levy, Freelance Writer
Jamaica's Veronica Campbell (right) competes in the women's 100 metres during an athletics meeting at the Kaftatzoglio stadium in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki yesterday. At left is the USA's Angela Williams. - AP
World 100-metre champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, Ricardo Chambers and Shereefa Lloyd were winners in their respective events at the Olympic Meeting in Thessaloniki, Greece, yesterday as some of Jamaica's Olympians continued preparations for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, a month away.
There were also other notable performances from other Jamaicans on a day when high winds influenced many of the performances.
Campbell-Brown, who surprisingly finished fourth in the 100-metre sprint at the Jamaican Olympic Trials two weekends ago, won the event in 10.85 seconds aided by a +2.6 metres per second (m/s) trailing wind. Angela Williams of the United States was second in 11.17 seconds and Laverna Jones of the Virgin Islands was third in 11.26.
400-metre run
Ricardo Chambers won his heat of the men's 400-metre run in 45.37 seconds beating countryman Sanjay Ayre, who finished second in 46.04 seconds. South Africa's Ofentse Mogawane was third in 46.15.
Shereefa Lloyd won the women's version in 51.34 seconds over Russia's Kseniya Zadorina, 52.62s and Ireland's Joanne Cuddihy 53.16. Jamaica's Clora Williams was fourth in a slow 53.38 seconds.
Simone Facey, aided by a 3.6m/s wind clocked 22.77 seconds to finish second in the women's 200 metres behind the Virgin Island's Lavern Jones' 22.47 seconds. The USA's Debbie Dan was third in 22.98 seconds.
400 metre hurdles
Shevon Stoddart finished third in the women's 400 metre hurdles in 56.43 seconds behind the Czech Republic's Zuzana Hejnova, 56.22 seconds and the USA's Latosha Wallace's 56.22 seconds.
James Beckford, who has represented Jamaica since the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, but who was noticeably absent from the Olympic trials the last weekend in June, finished sixth in the men's long jump with a leap of 7.88 metres. Louis Tastoumas won the event leaping 8.36m.
Veteran sprint hurdler Maurice Wignall did not finish the 110 hurdles that was won by the Czech Republic's Petr Svoboda in a windy 13.32 seconds.
The Olympic Meeting is one of a select group of Area meetings at which points can be acquired by athletes to qualify for the IAAF/VTB Bank World Athletics Finals to be held on September 13 and 14 in Stuttgart, Germany.
This is a busy week for Jamaica's athletes as Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater are down to run at the Golden Gala in Rome tomorrow, while Usain Bolt has been listed to run at the Athens Grand Prix on Sunday.
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