Wilson pleased with final tune-up

Maurice Wilson, the technical director of Jamaica's track and field team to the Tokyo Olympics, has hailed the performances of the island's athletes at the America Track League in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Several of the athletes were having their final tune-up meet for the Games, and five - Yohan Blake, Jevaughn Minzie, Megan Tapper, Tovea Jenkins and Ronda Whyte - registered wins at the meet.

"Overall, I think the performances were good. Even those who did not make the team to the Olympics did well," said Wilson. " Meets like these are needed so we can make an assessment of our athletes before a championships, and with no camp this time around this was really necessary," he said. The athletes travelling to Tokyo will leave Los Angeles today.

Fresh off his success in the 100 metres in Atlanta last week, Blake turned back national champion Rasheed Dwyer to win the 200m in 20.22 seconds.Blake got off the curve first and did well to hold off the fast-finishing Dwyer, who also clocked 20.22 for seconds. Minzie (20.29) and Jahzeel Murphy (20.49) ended third and fourth, respectively.

Aided by a strong following wind of 3.6 metres per second, national 100m hurdles champion Megan Tapper won her event in 12.48 seconds. American Evonne Britton was second in 12.72 and Jamaica's Yanique Thompson third in 12.75.

Whyte captured the women's 400m hurdles in 55.57 seconds while Jenkins clocked 51.53 to win the 400m, ahead of American Jaide Stepter (51.87) and Jamaica's Anastasia Le-Roy, who was third in a season's best 51.99.

Minzie won the men's 100m in 10.09 seconds. He was aided by a positive wind of 2.3 metres per second. Chris Royster of the United States was credited with the same time for second while another American, Travis Collins, was third in 10.11. Tyquendo Tracy, the national champion, was fourth in 10.11. In the 400m, Jamaica's Nathon Allen clocked 45.89 with Demish Gaye fourth in 46.04. American Khalifah Rosser won in 45.74. Following her third place in the 400m, Le-Roy returned to take second in the 200m in 22.79. American Candace Hill won in 22.30. The athletes were aided by a 3.3 metres per second wind.Hill had earlier won the 100 metres in 10.99 (2.5m per second following wind) with Jamaica's Remona Burchell third in 11.24.