Nickisha Pryce delivered a statement of class and composure to successfully defend her national 400m crown, while seasoned campaigner Rusheen McDonald rolled back the years to clinch the men’s title on the final day of the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships at the National Stadium on Sunday.
For Pryce, who has been holding fairly good form this season, it was another clinical execution. The 24-year-old clocked 49.97 seconds to dip below the 50-second barrier once more and reaffirmed her position as the nation’s leading one-lap queen heading into this summer’s World Championship.
In one of the fastest women’s 400m finals in national championships history, Dejanea Oakley and Stacey Ann Williams were hot on Pryce’s heels, both clocking 50.08 seconds—separated only by thousandths of a second in a thrilling finish.
Behind them, Leah Anderson also turned in a strong showing but faded into fourth in 50.78 seconds, as the final delivered on every ounce of its pre-race billing.
Meanwhile, in the men’s final, Rusheen McDonald, at age 33, reminded the Jamaican public that experience still counts. With a vintage performance that combined patience and power down the home straight, McDonald stormed home in 44.89 seconds, his fastest time in years. He was just outside the World Championships qualifying mark of 44.85s.
It was not easy, though. Delano Kennedy, the rising star from Uptimum, nearly pulled off a stunner with his own personal best of 44.91 seconds, while Jevaughn Powell, the pre-race favourite based on his form throughout the season, took third in 45.08 seconds.
