THE NATIONAL MEN'S sprint hurdles record has been smashed yet again. Yesterday, at the Intersport Gugl-Meeting in Linz, Austria, Maurice Wignall became the second Jamaican this year to rewrite the Jamaican record in that event.
Wignall, who in June equalled Chris Pinnock's national record of 13.38 at the Venizelia European Athletic Association (EAA) Permit Meeting in Chania, Greece, yesterday removed it with 13.28 in winning yesterday's 110m hurdles event.
The new national record holder turned back the challenges of Austria's Elmar Lichtenegger (13.36) and the US's Duane Ross (13.43).
SMASHING FORM
This season has found the national champion in smashing form. In February, Wignall reduced the national record he set over the 60m distance in Dortmund, Germany to 7.52 seconds, beating the record holder over the distance, Colin Jackson. Jackson crossed the line in 7.56 for seconds.
At the National Championships in June, Wignall, 27, posted a modest 13.54, beating Pinnock for the title. However, he followed that up with a blazing 13.39 winning effort at last week's Madrid Super Grand Prix meet in Spain and was just a hundreth outside the national record.
Wignall's performance yesterday overshadowed that of dethroned national 400m hurdles champion Kemel Thompson who was also victorious. Thompson, who finished behind Danny McFarlane at the National Championships, snatched gold in one-lap obstacle event.
In winning the 400m hurdles, Thompson, a two-time national champion who has the fastest time (48.24) over the distance this year, was far below his season best done at the Zagreb IAAF Grand Prix meet in Croatia last month.
However, the 2000 Olympian's time of 48.66 yesterday was good enough to beat Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily of Saudi Arabia (49.09) and teammate Ian Weakley, who was third (49.41).
Also making it to the medal podium yesterday were hurdlers Vonette Dixon and former Jamaica sprint queen Merlene Ottey, who now runs for Slovenia.
Dixon clocked 12.95 for third in the 100m hurdles behind Poland's Aurelia Trywianska (12.82) and the US's Melissa Morrison (12.84), while Ottey pocketed two silver medals.
In the 100m, Ottey (11.28) finished behind Austria's Karin Mayr-Krifka (11.25), who she defeated at the Zagreb IAAF Grand Prix II athletics meet in early July.
Ottey's time of 22.98 was only good enough for second again in the 200m, this time behind the Cayman's Cydonie Mothersill, who won in 22.89.
James Beckford did not start in the men's long jump, while Michelle Ballentine (2:03.08) finished seventh in the 800m.
