Gail Devers stole hearts, Marion Jones the show, as the inaugural Jamaica International Invitational ended at the National Stadium Friday night.
News Source: Jamaica Observer
Commonwealth Games champion, Lacena Golding-Clarke, hurdled to a personal best 12.69 seconds; her husband, Davian Clarke paced to a confidence-boosting win in the 400 metres; and Peta-Gaye Dowdie bustled an encouraging 23.12 seconds in the 200 metres, her best time in four years.
But there were drawbacks. The public address interviews were at times inaudible. Also the loud honouring of past Jamaican track and field greats while 'Miss Marion' jumped seemed inappropriate to this writer.
And expecting spectators to read fine-print results on a not-very-big electronic screen some distance away was quite challenging, to say the least.
A force on the world stage since 1987, when she was Pan-American Games 100m champion, Devers' radiant personality and motivational tongue captured the hearts and minds of hundreds of Jamaicans over the weekend.
They stuck to her like glue, young and old eager for a photo op, or just to touch her, to see if she was for real.
Devers sailed over the hurdles, her 5 ft 2 in frame completing the 100m hurdles in 12.50 seconds - the fastest time in the world so far this year.
Jones, who will be 29 on October 12, easily showed her pedigree by winning the 100 metres and long jump in 10.04 seconds and a world-leading 6.74 metres.
Few gave her attention while she long jumped, as public address announcers mesmerised the crowd with the exploits of Herb McKenley, Donald Quarrie and Deon Hemmings.
These tributes should have been paid during the opening ceremony, to no more than two persons, or three - all done in a few minutes.
Jones abruptly left the scene at the end of her jumps, after an announcer, inaudible for the most part, attempted to rally the crowd asking "do you want to see her back".
Miss Marion was more gracious after the 100 metres, gushing to crowd: "thank you guys for being here".
Little regard was paid to the women's 200 metres, won by Cayman's Cydonie Mothersill (22.94), ahead Wylleshia Myrick (23.01) and fast-finishing Dowdie (23.12 seconds) - all because of the tributes.
Golding-Clarke, long jumper-turned-hurdler, is celebrating her best season ever. The 29 year old, bidding for a place at probably her last Olympic Games, clocked a personal best 7.86 seconds in the 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships last March in Budapest, Hungary.
She intends to give Delloreen Ennis-London and worried national champion, Brigitte Foster, a run for their money.
When Davian Clarke pointed his fingers in the air after winning the 400 metres, he was very pleased and thanked the organisers for making an international meet of this nature possible in Jamaica.
All track and field fans were at one with and for him, because Davian, 28, deserves - perhaps more than any other - an individual Olympic medal.
Dowdie should also be viewed in the same vein. In casual conversations with this two-time national champion, now 27, at the Pegasus hotel, this writer has been impressed with her maturity.
Her spirit broken by the Merlene Ottey-incident at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and reconstructive surgery (I think) on her knee a year later, has robbed Jamaicans of this gem and of her place in the sun.
Blessed with speed and power, the 5ft 7in Dowdie would do well at the 400 metres, but she would need some amount of persuasion and convincing.
She should just focus on the 200 metres alone this year, and make a run for the 400m from next year on.
Dowdie has a degree in marketing from Louisiana State University (LSU).
For spectators, through their naked eye, to view the results on the electronic screen at the National Stadium, it's best to show the results in threes (1st to 3rd, 4th to 6th, and so on). Showing all eighth placings at once does not help, unless you're eagle-eyed, or has binoculars or something.
All in all, the stadium did rock Friday night, even without Usain Bolt, Sherone Simpson, Asafa Powell, and Brigitte Foster. Their absence is another story all by itself.
