Dominica's Lloyd wins in Europe

by Michael Bascombe

ATHENS, Greece, Feb 13, CMC - Dominica's Chris Lloyd sped to a 400-metre triumph to be the only Caribbean winner at the Athina 2008 IAAF Indoor Permit Meeting in Athens on Wednesday evening.

Lloyd won in 46.30 seconds, the second quickest time in the world so far this year as he surged to his second victory in Europe in five days.

Only China’s Liangyu Wang – at 46.08 seconds – has gone faster than Lloyd in 2008 and the improving Dominican won ahead of Jamaica's Edino Steele (46.88) to complement his win at the 3rd PSD Dusseldorf Indoor track and fielding on Friday night.

Grenada's two-time World Indoor champion Alleyne Francique (46.92) got third for a Caribbean sweep on an evening that four world-leading marks were set at the Greek capital.

Jamaican Maurice Wignall was second in the men's 60-metre hurdles in 7.65 seconds, splitting Britons Allan Scott (7.61) and Andy Turner (7.72). Another Jamaican, Richard Phillips, was fourth in 7.76 seconds.

Caribbean women registered some prominent results while top men from the region struggled.

Virgin Islanders Taheshia Harrigan and LaVern Jones continued their good indoor season.

Harrigan, of the British Virgin Islands (BVI), clocked a near personal season’s best 7.17 seconds for the runner-up spot in the women’s 60 metres, and the USVI’s Jones took fifth spot in 7.26 seconds.

Angela Williams, of the USA, won the event in a personal season’s best 7.13 and Nigeria's Franka Idoko was third in 7.22 seconds.

Jamaican Lacena Golding-Clarke was edged out by Damu Cherry of the USA for the top spot in the women's 60 metres hurdles.

Cherry, who had served a two-year doping suspension, finished in 7.94 seconds ahead of Golding-Clarke's 7.98 seconds.

Also, Clora Williams of Jamaica was fourth in the 400 metres in 53.94 seconds.

Antiguan Pan American Games champion Brendan Christian finished a distant eighth in the men's 60 metres in 6.75 seconds. Mike Rodgers of the USA (6.58) was the fastest time among the two heats.

Bahamian World High Jump champion Donald Thomas finished eighth (2.20 metres), as Ukraine's Dmitry Demyanyuk (2.27 metres) took the win over Spain's Xavier Bermejo (2.27 metres) and Jesse Williams, of the USA, at (2.27 metres.

Panama's Irving Saladino was a clear winner in the men's long jump with a world leading distance of 8.42 metres. Jamaican James Beckford had to settle for sixth at 7.76 metres.

Kenya's Daniel Komen Chipchirchir won the men's 1500 metres in a world-leading time of three minutes 34.80 seconds and Russian pole vaulter Yuliya Golubchikoya (4.75 metres) and Slovakian triple jumper Marija Sestjak (15.08 metres), also posted world bests.