Nigeria’s Emmanuel Bamidele powered to victory in the final few metres in the men’s 400m at the Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday, June 1.
The Nigerian caught up with the hurdles specialist Roshawn Clarke just before the line to win in 45.49 to the Jamaican 45.57.
The men’s 400m was won by Nigeria’s Bamidele, the 2023 NCAA 400m champion, in 45.49, narrowly ahead of reigning national 400m hurdles champion Roshawn Clarke who ran a season’s best 45.57 in second, and Zandrion Barnes who ran 45.62 for third.
“I think the preparation for me is the same. I have the same mindset; and the same goals. I’m trying to get better every single day,” Bamidele said after the race.
“I’m trying to learn from my mistakes in every race. I’m hoping to break my personal best before the end of the season,” he added.
Also, Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards won an entertaining men’s 200m, powering past NCAA champion Udodi Onwuzurike in the home straight. Richards clocked a season’s best 20.13 with the Nigerian trailing in his wake with 20.27.
Meanwhile, In a memorable race that brought the curtains down on the Racers Grand Prix, Oblique Seville won the 100m in a world-leading 9.82 (0.9m/s) at the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver event in Kingston.
Seville, who missed last year’s edition through injury, defeated a quality field boasting four finalists from last year’s World Championships, including world champion Noah Lyles, Great Britain’s bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes and African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala.
“My coach and I have been working on execution throughout the month, and tonight, the work that I put in has paid off,” said the 23-year-old, who was contesting his first 100m of the year. “It is a tremendous feeling as last year I didn’t compete due to injuries. This year, I’m happy to get a personal best and win in front of my Jamaican fans.”
Based on current form and how he oozed confidence at the press conference, it was Lyles’s race to lose, and he did. Seville easily brushed aside the challenge of the double sprint world champion, who clocked 9.85 to equal his second-fastest time ever. Omanyala clinched third in 10.02.
It was Lyles’s first legal sub-10 clocking, and his first loss, over 100m this season. “I was satisfied with the performance but disappointed with the starter,” said Lyles.
“Half of us were not even set when the gun went. Overall, the race was great; I came out here and ran exactly what I thought I would run, which is anywhere faster than 9.88.”