Jamaica’s world indoor bronze medallist Stephenie Ann McPherson emerged as the top-performing Jamaican athlete at the opening meet of the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Saturday.
McPherson finished third in the women’s 400m in 54.66 at the Astana Indoor Meet as Portugal’s Catia Azevedo strode to victory in a short track PB of 52.64.
Early leader Sophie Becker of Ireland chased her home in 53.19. Japan’s Nanako Matsumoto narrowly won the first race in 54.79.
Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald blasted ahead in the second 400m race and he led clearly at the bell. But he faded dramatically over the final 100m and was passed by the rest of the field, Czechia’s Patrick Sorm winning in 47.01 ahead of his compatriot Pavel Maslak, the three-time world indoor champion.
McDonald finished at the back in 49.94 seconds.
Spain’s Inaki Canal went quickest overall in the men’s 400m, clocking 46.36 to win the first of the two races. Portugal’s Ericsson Tavares was second in 46.95.
Tina Clayton secured fifth place in the women’s 60 metres with a time of 7.28, while her Jamaican compatriot, Remona Burchell, finished in eighth and last place with a time of 7.36. Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas won in 7.21. Strachan prevailed ahead of Poland’s Magdalena Stefanowicz with 7.22 and Asian indoor champion Farzaneh Fasihi, who equalled her Iranian record of 7.23.
Jamaica’s Rohan Watson finished fifth in the men’s 60m in 6.65 seconds. USA’s Demek Kemp won in 6.55 to pip Japan’s Shuhei Tada and Akihiro Higashida, who were separated by just 0.01 after clocking 6.58 and 6.59.
The Jamaican duo of Megan Tapper (8.03) and Amoi Brown (8.11) finished fifth and eighth, respectively, in the women’s 60m hurdles.
Nigeria’s 2022 world 100m hurdles champion Tobi Amusan achieved a personal best to secure victory in an area record of 7.77.
After leading the heats with a comfortable looking 7.91, she returned to win the final after a powerful second half of her race.
In the last race of the programme, Amusan held off USA’s two-time world indoor 60m hurdles champion Nia Ali, who clocked 7.89, and Ireland’s Sarah Lavin, who set a second PB of the day – 7.91 – after her 7.93 in the heats.
