Williams romps 400m at Luzern meet - Fraser-Pryce a late scratch in 100m

STACEY-ANN Williams won the women's 400 metres at yesterday's World Continental Silver Tour track and field meet in Luzern, Switzerland.

Williams, a member of Jamaica's track and field team to the 20024 Paris Olympics, won the event easily in 50.58 seconds, just two hundredths of a second outside her season's best of 50.56. Lisanne de Witte of the Netherlands was second in 51.99 with Annine Fahr of Switzerland third in 52.08.

There were second-place finishes at the meet for Kemba Nelson and Lanae-Tava Thomas.

Nelson who was third at another World Continental meet in Switzerland two days ago maintained her good form in the women's 100m. In a very close finish, Mujinga Kambundji gave her home crowd a lot to cheer for after winning the event in 11.20 seconds. Nelson was just a whisker behind in 11.21, the same time awarded to third-place finisher, Gina Luckenkemper of Germany. Jamaica's Shashalee Forbes was fifth in 11.31, the same time given to Jodean Williams for sixth. Another Jamaican, Krystal Sloley was seventh in 11.38. Veteran sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a many-time World and Olympic champion, was down to compete in her first race since the national championships but was a late scratch.

In section one of the 100m, Jamaica's Serena Cole finished second in a season's best 11.24 as Zoe Hobbs of New Zealand won in 11.17. Briana Williams, the other Jamaican in the event, was sixth in 11.50.

Thomas was also involved in a very close affair in the women's 200m where she lost to Cote d'Ivoire's Jessika Gbai who produced a strong late run to win in 22.57 seconds. Thomas clocked 22.60 for second with third going to Kambundji in 22.61.

National champion Ackelia Smith was fourth in the women's long jump with a distance of 6.61m.

It was tough going for Jamaica's men at the meet as they finished well down the track in their respective events.

Michael Campbell who competed in the men's 'B' 100m race was fifth in 10.37, while Rohan Watson was seventh in the men's 'A' race in 10.32.

Schoolboy Gary Card had to settle for seventh in the men's 200 metres in 21.32 while Rusheen McDonald, the national 400m record holder, ended a well beaten eighth in the men's 400m in 47.41.