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BERLIN -- As rivalries go, this USA-Jamaica thing is, frankly, looking a lot one-sided.
The Jamaicans, simply put, are dominating.
Shelly-Ann Fraser, last year's Olympic champion in the women's 100, made it two in a row Monday night, winning the 2009 World Championships 100 in 10.73 seconds.
Kerron Stewart, second in the Beijing 100 -- second in Berlin, in 10.75, a personal best.
Carmelia Jeter of the United States took third, in 10.90, so there was that for American track fans.
Just to keep going, however, because they say the way to turn a problem around is first to recognize it and acknowledge it in its fullest. Fourth place here Monday night: Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, the 2007 Worlds winner in the 100, in a season-best 10.95.
To recap: Three of the top four, Jamaicans.
Not to pile on, but the history books now say Jamaicans won both 100s in Berlin as well as both 100s in Beijing. Moreover, Jamaicans won both 200s in Beijing; the 200s here go off later in the week, with Tyson Gay, unquestionably the best sprinter America's got, announcing late Monday night that his sore groin is going to keep him out of that event.
To recap, again: Six Olympic or world championship sprints over the past 12 months. All six to the Jamaicans.
Allyson Felix of Santa Clarita, Calif., the 2005 and 2007 Worlds 200 champion -- a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Of course, Campbell-Brown is the 2008 Olympic 200 champ. Felix got silver in Beijing.
"We are not getting our butts kicked," American Lauryn Williams, the 2005 Worlds 100 champ, fifth here Monday in 11.01, asserted.
What do the numbers say?
The women's 100 went off the night after Jamaican Usain Bolt ran a staggering world-record 9.58 to win the men's 100. Jamaica's Asafa Powell finished third, in 9.84. Gay took second, in 9.71.
Another recap, this one simply limited to Berlin: Three days into the meet. The two glamor races done. Six medals at issue. Four went to Jamaica. Two to the United States.
Beyond Berlin:
Bolt has now lowered the world record three times in two years, to 9.72, to 9.69 and now to 9.58.
Just to put Bolt's race in perspective -- and no one has accused him of anything improper -- there's this:
Ben Johnson crossed the line first in the 1988 Seoul Games in 9.79 and was then busted for doping. Bolt's 9.58 would have beaten Johnson by about six feet.
"I was watching the race and I saw when he ran 9.58 and I texted my friend, 'This boy is not human at all,' " Fraser said Monday night with a laugh.
To see Bolt do that -- that was "some motivation," she said, adding of the Jamaican women, "We had to rise to the occasion."
Fraser's 10.73 is the fastest women's time in the 2000s. It tied her, with France's Christine Arron, as the third-fastest performer in the 100 of all time, behind Florence Griffith-Joyner and Marion Jones.
Looking at it perhaps a bit more broadly:
Of the eight top times in 2009 in the 100 coming into Monday night, seven were Jamaican -- all seven by either Fraser (four) or Stewart (three).
Jeter, who began working last fall with coach John Smith, was fighting for third essentially from the start of Monday night's race.
Fraser got out of the blocks scary fast and bolted, wide-eyed, down the track.
Stewart gained on Fraser and almost -- almost -- got her at the end. Stewart said, "If you're going to run 10.75 and you're second, there's no complaints. I got beat. She ran a perfect race."
Jeter was a full 15-hundredths of a second back of Stewart and, as she said, "These two women ran a great race."
Fraser later disclosed that this year she had overcome appendix surgery and a bum hamstring. And, as it turned out, she said, gas pains between the semifinals and finals that were so severe she opted to sip some peppermint tea and take a little rest.
Now how are you supposed to beat that?
http://www.universalsports.com/ViewA...CLID=204776493
The Jamaicans, simply put, are dominating.
Shelly-Ann Fraser, last year's Olympic champion in the women's 100, made it two in a row Monday night, winning the 2009 World Championships 100 in 10.73 seconds.
Kerron Stewart, second in the Beijing 100 -- second in Berlin, in 10.75, a personal best.
Carmelia Jeter of the United States took third, in 10.90, so there was that for American track fans.
Just to keep going, however, because they say the way to turn a problem around is first to recognize it and acknowledge it in its fullest. Fourth place here Monday night: Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, the 2007 Worlds winner in the 100, in a season-best 10.95.
To recap: Three of the top four, Jamaicans.
Not to pile on, but the history books now say Jamaicans won both 100s in Berlin as well as both 100s in Beijing. Moreover, Jamaicans won both 200s in Beijing; the 200s here go off later in the week, with Tyson Gay, unquestionably the best sprinter America's got, announcing late Monday night that his sore groin is going to keep him out of that event.
To recap, again: Six Olympic or world championship sprints over the past 12 months. All six to the Jamaicans.
Allyson Felix of Santa Clarita, Calif., the 2005 and 2007 Worlds 200 champion -- a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.
Of course, Campbell-Brown is the 2008 Olympic 200 champ. Felix got silver in Beijing.
"We are not getting our butts kicked," American Lauryn Williams, the 2005 Worlds 100 champ, fifth here Monday in 11.01, asserted.
What do the numbers say?
The women's 100 went off the night after Jamaican Usain Bolt ran a staggering world-record 9.58 to win the men's 100. Jamaica's Asafa Powell finished third, in 9.84. Gay took second, in 9.71.
Another recap, this one simply limited to Berlin: Three days into the meet. The two glamor races done. Six medals at issue. Four went to Jamaica. Two to the United States.
Beyond Berlin:
Bolt has now lowered the world record three times in two years, to 9.72, to 9.69 and now to 9.58.
Just to put Bolt's race in perspective -- and no one has accused him of anything improper -- there's this:
Ben Johnson crossed the line first in the 1988 Seoul Games in 9.79 and was then busted for doping. Bolt's 9.58 would have beaten Johnson by about six feet.
"I was watching the race and I saw when he ran 9.58 and I texted my friend, 'This boy is not human at all,' " Fraser said Monday night with a laugh.
To see Bolt do that -- that was "some motivation," she said, adding of the Jamaican women, "We had to rise to the occasion."
Fraser's 10.73 is the fastest women's time in the 2000s. It tied her, with France's Christine Arron, as the third-fastest performer in the 100 of all time, behind Florence Griffith-Joyner and Marion Jones.
Looking at it perhaps a bit more broadly:
Of the eight top times in 2009 in the 100 coming into Monday night, seven were Jamaican -- all seven by either Fraser (four) or Stewart (three).
Jeter, who began working last fall with coach John Smith, was fighting for third essentially from the start of Monday night's race.
Fraser got out of the blocks scary fast and bolted, wide-eyed, down the track.
Stewart gained on Fraser and almost -- almost -- got her at the end. Stewart said, "If you're going to run 10.75 and you're second, there's no complaints. I got beat. She ran a perfect race."
Jeter was a full 15-hundredths of a second back of Stewart and, as she said, "These two women ran a great race."
Fraser later disclosed that this year she had overcome appendix surgery and a bum hamstring. And, as it turned out, she said, gas pains between the semifinals and finals that were so severe she opted to sip some peppermint tea and take a little rest.
Now how are you supposed to beat that?
http://www.universalsports.com/ViewA...CLID=204776493