Saturday, February 21, 2015

22 / 28

LEIGHTON LEVY
STAR Writer
F ollowing his 48.65m 400 metre sea-
son opener at the Camperdown
Classic last weekend,
Commonwealth Games 100m champion,
Kemar-Bailey Cole, declared that he is
feeling stronger than ever before.
The added strength, he believes, should
earn him a spot on Jamaica’s team to the
World Championships in Beijing, China,
this summer, where he is determined to
make up for barely missing out on an indi-
vidual medal in Moscow 2013.
Bailey-Cole revealed that training has
been intense so far this season,
much more than it was last
year, when he claimed his first
international sprint title in
Glasgow, Scotland.
The work, he said, is in
preparation for the World
Championships and the
Olympic Games in
2016.
At the last World
Championships in
Moscow in 2013,
he was ever so
close to winning a
medal in the blue-
ribbon sprint.
Usain Bolt won the
100m in 9.77 seconds,
while Nesta Carter was third
in 9.95. Bailey-Cole and
Nickel Ashmeade were
fourth and fifth, respectively,
even though both were
timed in 9.98s.
“In 2013, I lost by an
inch. I am just focused on
getting back to that final
and getting a medal,”
he said.
Getting back to his
season opener, Bailey-
Cole expressed satis-
faction, even though
the time was not as
fast as the 47.36s
he ran in 2014.
“I am stronger now. I’ve been putting in
the work, a lot more core work and strength
work. So, basically, I give myself an 85 per
cent,” he said.
“I was
going for a
personal
best, but
maybe I
was a bit
loaded.”
22 SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2015 SPORTS THE STAR
Bailey-Cole
aims for World
Champs medal
PAUL CLARKE
STAR Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
St Elizabeth Technical High School, the
defending girl’s champion, though trailing
Rusea’s High by six-and-a-half points com-
ing into today’s grand final of the
Digicel/Hanover Cooperative Credit Union,
County of Cornwall Athletics Association
Western Championships at the Montego Bay
Sports Complex, still have enough left to win
another title.
Rusea’s held the slight advantage after 15
finals on Thursday’s eliminations at the Treasure
Beach Sports Complex, claiming 109.5 points
in the process.
STETHS are second on 100 points, and are
trailed in the race for the girls’ crown by third-
place Herbert Morrison Technical, 73, and
Petersfield High, 62.5.
Boys’ champions Munro (78 pts) trail rivals
STETHS, 95.5, and Herbert Morrison, Cornwall
College, and the ever-improving Petersfield
make up a five-way race for top honours in the
boys’ equation.
Herbert Morrison amassed 71.5 points after
the 14 finals from the eliminations, and just
ahead of Cornwall, 65.5, and Petersfield, 65.
As with most track events, the challenge of all
the relays – be it the 4x100m or the 4x400m –
will be among the races to watch for.
Petersfield lead the charge for gold in the
girls’ Class One 4x100m, after dominating the
field to win their heat on Thursday, but should
be challenged by the likes of STETHS and
Hampton.
Green Island have a great quartet for the
girls’ Class Two 4x100m, and are clearly the
ones to beat. They dismissed their opponents
Thursday, taking their heat in a quick 49.44
seconds, with Herbert Morrison, 50.16, and
STETHS, 50.38, rounding out the top placing.
Satanya Wright of STETHS takes the best time
of the girls Class Two 200m semis into today’s
final. Wright ran 25.49 in heat two, but will get
close attention from Green Island’s Vanesha
Pusey, who logged 26.49 in her semi-final heat.
Also to feature are Herbert Morrison’s
Kishauna Smith, 25.00, and Frome Technical’s
Amoy Mairs, who clocked 25.94 in her heat.
Munro’s depth this year will be tested mainly
by their closest rivals, STETHS, who seem to be
edging closer to their southerly neighbours in
terms of points each year.
Rusea’s, STETHS look to upset
defending west champs
Shyledeen Smith
FILE PHOTOS
Kemar
Bailey Cole