Thompson, Stewart sweep 100 metres at Berlin meet

Berlin: Trinidadian Richard Thompson won the men’s 100 metres at the ISTAF athletics meet here as the Caribbean swept both sprints.

Thompson, a double silver medallist at the Beijing Olympics six years ago, clocked a pedestrian 10.15 seconds to cross the line ahead of American Dentarious Locke who was timed at 10.16 seconds, and fellow Trinidadian Keston Bledman who was third in 10.23, reports CMC.

Thompson’s time was well off his 9.82 seconds posted at the National Championships in Port of Spain back in June, which was then the fastest time in the world this year.

Jamaican Kerron Stewart, meanwhile, narrowly won the women’s 100 metres, beating American Joanna Atkins into second in a tight finish.

Stewart, who has fond memories of Berlin with sprint relay gold at the 2009 World Championships, was timed at 11.25 while Atkins clocked 11.26. Another American, Jessica Young, was third in 11.32.

In the women’s shot putt, Trinidadian Cleopatra Borel clinched third place with a throw of 18.53 metres, as German Schwanitz Gerger took victory with 19.53m.

The Berlin meet is the 11th of the IAAF World Challenge series.