Naser ‘proud’ of outstanding GST run

FIVE YEARS AGO at the World Outdoor Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Bahrain's Salwa Eid Naser set the Khalifa International Stadium on fire with a staggering win in the women's 400 metres, clocking 48.14 seconds to capture the gold medal.

The time by the Nigerian-born athlete was the third fastest ever in the event, behind Marita Koch of Germany (47.60) and Jamila Kratochvilova of the Czech Republic (47.99).

At the Grand Slam Track's inaugural meet on Saturday at the National Stadium, the 26-year-old delighted fans with a special display.

In what was the performance of the evening, she sprinted to a world-leading 48.67 seconds to win the one-lap event, pushing the United States' Gabby Thomas to a personal best of 49.14 for second, with Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic third in 49.35 seconds.

It was a stadium record and the fastest time ever recorded in the event on local soil by a female athlete.

A training partner of Paulino, it was the first time in 10 meetings that Naser had gotten the better of her opponent, and after her jaw-dropping feat, Naser was pleased with her outstanding performance.

"I am extremely proud of my achievement, and I feel very good. This is my third fastest ever and the best in only my second race of the season," said Naser, who a week earlier had opened up with a 48.94 clocking in Bayaguana, Dominican Republic, where she also raced to a 22.45 time in the 200m.

Despite the Tokyo World Championships being some five months away, her performance on Saturday has put her in pole position, as it was indeed a dominant one -- taking control from the first 150m to destroy a quality field.

"My body felt good, and I think I am approaching the same shape I was in when I ran that fast time in Doha. Going forward, I just want to stay healthy, and once I do that, I think I can go sub-48 seconds. But I am not putting any pressure on myself," she said.

Naser also spoke about her experience competing in Jamaica for the first time.

"I feel very comfortable competing here in Jamaica, as the people here are like me, and the atmosphere was lovely," said the silver medallist at last year's Olympic Games in Paris.

sports@gleanerjm.com