Advertisement

Caribbean sprinters take 200 metres races as U.S. dominates meet

(Reuters) - Caribbean sprinters swept the 200 metres races as U.S. overall dominance continued on the final day of the North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) championships in Toronto on Sunday.

Trinidad and Tobago national champion Kyle Greaux spoiled the host country's chances in the men's 200m, clocking 20.11 seconds to upstage Canada's Commonwealth Games silver medallist Aaron Brown (20.20).

The women's race produced a tight finish as Olympic 400m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson of Jamaica won in 22.64 seconds, just 0.03 seconds ahead of Canadian Crystal Emmanuel.

Fedrick Dacres and Shanieka Ricketts added more gold for Jamaica.

Commonwealth Games champion Dacres tossed the discus 68.47 metres to defeat team mate Traves Smikle (65.46m) and Ricketts, the Commonwealth runner-up, bounded 14.25m in the women's triple jump.

But U.S. depth prevailed with the Americans winning 11 of the 17 events, six of them by their women.

Former world junior champion Shamier Little beat Jamaica's Commonwealth champion Janieve Russell in the women's 400m hurdles, the American winning in 53.32 seconds.

The U.S. women also won the 1,500m, shot put, javelin and both relays.

Former world indoor winner Marquis Dendy paced the men, winning the long jump with an opening of 8.29m, but Jamaica's Tajay Gayle made it interesting with a 8.24m leap on his last attempt.

U.S. men also claimed the 3,000m steeplechase, where the only three contestants were Americans, the pole vault, 1,500m, and 4x400m relay.

Canadian sprinters got some revenge by winning the 4x100m relay in 38.56 seconds with Brown the anchor, and Kyron McMaster of the British Virgin Islands topped 400m hurdlers in 48.18 to add to his Commonwealth Games title.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)