KAZAKHSTAN – Bahamian sprinter Anthonique Strachan showcased her speed and agility at the Astana Indoor Meet, an event hosted for the Amin Tuyakov Prizes and recognized as a World Athletics Indoor Tour-Gold meet.
The meet took place in Kazakhstan on Saturday, and Strachan emerged as the sole Caribbean winner of the competition.
Strachan, who previously held the title of double sprint World Junior champion in 2012, delivered a remarkable performance by clocking 7.21 seconds to secure victory in the women’s 60 meters. She narrowly edged out Poland’s Magdalena Stefanovicz (7.22) and Iran’s Farzaneh Fasihi (7.23). Jamaica’s Tina Clayton, with a time of 7.28 seconds, finished in sixth place.
African record
In the male equivalent event, reigning Jamaican National 100m champion Rohan Watson achieved a time of 6.65 seconds, earning him fifth place. The race was won by the USA’s Demek Kemp in 6.55 seconds, with Japanese athletes Shuhei Tada and Akihiro Higashida securing second and third place with times of 6.58 and 6.59 seconds, respectively.
One of the standout performances of the meet unfolded in the women’s 60m hurdles, where Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, under the guidance of Jamaican coach Lacena Golding-Clarke, established an African record by clocking 7.77 seconds to clinch victory. She was followed by two-time World Indoor champion Nia Ali (7.89) and Ireland’s Sarah Lavin (7.91). Jamaican athletes Megan Tapper and Amoi Brown secured the fifth and eighth positions, posting times of 8.03 and 8.11 seconds, respectively.
In the women’s 400 meters, Jamaica’s Stephenie Ann McPherson displayed a strong performance by finishing second overall with a time of 54.66 seconds. The event was won by Portugal’s Catia Azevedo, who clocked 52.64 seconds, while Japan’s Nanako Matsumoto secured the third position overall with a time of 54.79 seconds.
