Williams-Mills wins 400m in Birmingham

Raymond Graham, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's Novlene Williams-Mils produced a season-best 52.03 seconds to win the women's 400 metres at yesterday's Aviva Grand Prix indoor meet in Birmingham, England.

Williams-Mills, a member of the silver medal winning 4x400 metres quartet at last year's Berlin World Championships finished ahead of Christine Amertil, 52.43, of The Bahamas as American Ebony Lloyd ended third in 53.16.

William-Mills who was making her second indoor appearance following her debut late last month in Glasgow improved on her previous best of 52.83 and is the fastest Jamaican woman over the distance indoors this season. She overtook Bobby Gaye Wilkins who did 52.46 earlier this month in Nebraska.

Personal best

The other Jamaicans at the meet all finished down the track. After producing a personal best of 6.54 seconds in the heats of the men's 60 metres to become the fastest Jamaican in the event so far this season, Nesta Carter, a 2008 Olympic sprint relay gold medallist, failed to reproduce his good early run and finished at the back of the field in eighth position in the final, clocking 6.77. American Mike Rodgers won the event in 6.57, ahead of Antigua and Barbuda's Daniel Bailey who was second in a season best of 6.59. Earlier in the preliminary round, Jamaica's Mario Forsythe was disqualified for false starting while Ryan Shields failed to advance to the final.

The next best result by a Jamaican was achieved by Ricardo Chambers in the 400 metres as he clocked 46.68 for a fourth place finish as Ireland's David Gillick won the event in 45.52.

There was no luck for Dwight Thomas in the 60m hurdles as the Berlin 110m hurdles finalist could only manage eighth place in 7.87. Cuba's Dayron Robles won in 7.44 seconds.

Another Cuban was in the top two on the track as hurdler Anay Tejeda raced to a season best of 7.96 seconds for the runner-up spot in the women's 60 metres hurdles as the United States Danielle Carruthers produced a season-best 7.95 for victory.

American Carmelita Jeter, after playing second fiddle twice so far this season to world leader Lavern Jones in the women's 60 metres, finally got the better of her rival in a very close finish. Both athletes were credited with the same time, 7.06 seconds, but the American was given the nod by the photo finish camera.