KINGSTON – Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson cruised to a wind-assisted 10.75 seconds to win the 100 metres at Jamaica’s UTECH Classic on Saturday.
Thompson, who became the first Caribbean woman to win the Olympic 100m and 200m double in Rio last summer, comfortably pulled away to cross the line ahead of Jura Levy (11.19) and Olympic finalist Christania Williams (11.30).
Thompson said she was surprised to run the time so early in the season.
“Actually when I heard the time announced, I was shocked but as I say, each time I race, I always surprise myself,” she told Reuters.
“Honestly there was no plan coming in, I just wanted to work on the first 30 metres of my race, because that is kind of my weak area. So, I just wanted to execute.”
In the men’s 100m, 2011 world champion Yohan Blake stumbled from the starting block and Britain’s Zharnel Hughes took full advantage, coming home in a wind-aided personal best 10.08.
Olympic and world championship 400m bronze medallist Shericka Jackson clocked a personal best of 22.57 to win the 200m, the second fastest time in the world behind the 22.29 run by Dafne Schippers.
Williams shaved 27 one-hundredths of a second off her previous best.
Miguel Francis, who has switched allegiance to Britain from Antigua, won the men’s race in 20.44 ahead of Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games champion Rasheed Dwyer (20.45).