GAINESVILLE, USA – Florida Relays started with some superb 200m times here on Friday.
In the men´s 200m, new personal best for Bahamian 400m World silver medalist Steven Gardiner, who clocked 20.20 (+2.0m/s), beating 110m hurdles World champion Omar McLeod 20.49.
On the women’s side, teenage star Sydney McLaughlin, the World Under-20 400m record holder, clocked huge personal best of 22.39 (+1.5m/s wind).
McLaughlin’s time is the fastest U20 time since 2003 and fourth best of all-time in that age category.
Americans Joanna Atkins and World 100m hurdles record holder Kendra Harrison achieved the same time of 22.81secs for the minor places. The mark was a personal best for Harrison.
Another hurdler, 400m hurdles World champion Kori Carter ran 23.23 for fifth.
Puerto Rican 100m hurdles record holder Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won another race with 22.59 but aided by +3.0.
In the 400m Bahamian, Alonzo Russell got 45.44 win over triple jump World and Olympic winner Christian Taylor 45.48.
Taylor´s last 400m race was at Drake Relays in April 2014 when he clocked personal best 45.17. He plans to run more 400 m races in the summer.
“First race in the legs. Looking forward to the 4x400m tomorrow. Couldn’t ask for a better job,” Taylor.
Third in the race was 400m hurdles veteran Bershawn Jackson with 46.50.
Jamaican Shawn Rowe wins 400m hurdles
Rowe won the 400m hurdles in life-time best 49.17, while in another race, Bahamian Jeffery Gibson clocked 49.21 (his fastest since May 2016) over Jamaican Ansert Whyte 49.48.
Women 400m hurdles winner was Grace Claxton from Puertorico with 56.30.
Grenada´s record holder Anderson Peters won the javelin with 81.57m.
