Golden run by Lerone Clarke

Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:

Last year's Commonwealth Games champion, Lerone Clarke, extended Jamaica's amazing run in 100 metres finals around the world when he won the Pan American Games gold medal in Guadalajara yesterday.

Clarke won in 10.01 seconds ahead of St Kitts and Nevis' Kim Collins, 10.04, and Trinidad and Tobago's Emmanuel Callender, 10.16, as Caribbean athletes swept the medals.

Maurice Smith, however, failed to successfully defend his decathlon title and had to settle for silver behind Cuba's World bronze medallist Leonel Suarez.

Smith amassed 8214 points, but lost his title and record to Suarez, who won gold with 8373. Another Cuban, Yordani Garcia, 8074, was third, while Jamaica's second entrant, Claston Bernard, ended up eighth with 7246.

Yesterday's two medals brought Jamaica's tally at the Games to four - one gold, two silver and one bronze.

Starting with Beijing in 2008, Jamaicans have now won Olympic, World, World Youth, World Junior, Commonwealth, Youth Olympics and now the Pan American Games title.

Clarke was elated to win Jamaica's first gold medal of the Games.

"I feel good. It seems I need to be running this time of the year at all times," Clarke said after being reminded that his Commonwealth title came in October last year.

"It's very exciting to win two titles. This is going to make me more motivated and excited going into the future."

He executed his race plan perfectly. The aim was to lead all the way.

"My race plan was to get out of the blocks, run hard, run relaxed and stay focused on my own race and not worry about anybody in the race."

He said he was not concerned about the presence of Games recordholder and World Championships bronze medallist Kim Collins.

"I know he is a good athlete and I respect him, but I have been setting up the race from yesterday, running relaxed throughout the rounds to ensure that today I had enough to finish and everything worked out perfectly."

Clarke had one regret: he wanted to break his personal best 9.99.

"I wish I had broken my personal best, but to run 10.01 here is close enough for me, especially in late October after a very long season, so I am grateful."

Like everyone else, he said the thin air in Guadalajara affected him, but he had taken that into consideration during the rounds.

"Of course, in the first two rounds, even when I was cruising, I felt tired but I was not worried about that. my legs are fine and my body is fine."

Smith, despite starting the day in front and on target, was not disappointed with his silver medal.

"The first two events (110m hurdles and discus) were good, but technically I did not do well in the pole vault, and that's where I lost out. I was hoping to do at least 4.60m, but ended up with 4.40m. But I finished healthy, and it was a good competition."

Meanwhile, Patricia Hall advanced, but both Ansert Whyte and Michael Mason failed to reach today's men's and women's 400 metres finals.

Hall, the only Jamaican woman entered in the 400m, was third in semi-final two in 52.47. The heat was won in 51.76 by Colombia's Yenifer Padila. Hall went out very fast, but faded in the straight.

The first semi-final also went to a Colombian. Norman Gonzalez won in 52.67.

Mason finished best of Jamaica's two men. He was third in semi-final three in 46.09 behind Chris Brown of The Bahamas, who won in 45.92 and Cuba's Noel Ruiz, 45.98.

Whyte was well back in semi-final three in 47.57, the event won in 45.40, the fastest time of the round, by Ramon Miller of The Bahamas.