Shanieka Thomas booked her ticket to Beijing for the VX IAAF World Athletics Championships. Thomas secured her spot with victory in the women’s triple jump on Friday’s opening day of the NACAC Senior Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Thomas leapt 14.23 metres, a new NACAC Champs record and over the World Championships qualifying mark of 4.20m.
She achieved the mark on her second attempt. She also had marks of 14.03m and 14.19 on her first and third attempts."I am pleased to announce that I am the 2015 NACAC champion and record holder after achieving a personal best of 14.23 meters today," she said after his win.
"This was my final chance to qualify for World Championships and I am happy that my coach and I did not panic and stayed the course despite many obstacles we faced this season. Thanks for the continued support Coach Kerry Lee Ricketts, Norman Peart, Dalton Myers, Brad Yap, UWI Mona family, family, friends and well wishers as I work to continue turning my dreams into a reality," she said.
Winners of the NACAC Championships with A standard marks qualifies for the World Championships.
Quincy Wilson of Trinidad and Tobago picked up bronze in the men’s discus with 56.82m. Russ Winger of USA won the event with 60.68m.
Bahamian pair of Trevor Barry 2.20m and Ryan Ingraham 2.20m were second and third respectively in the men’s high jump, won by USA’s JaCorian Duffiield 2.25mm.
In the women’s 800m, Jamaica’s Kimarra McDonald 2:04.42, leads the qualifiers going into the final.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Semoy Hackett 22.59 is the fastest from the women’s 200m first round. Kerron Stewart of Jamaica 23.13, her teammate Jodean Williams 23.30, along with Kamaria Durant, also of T&T, 23.44 and Laverne Jones-Ferrette of USVI, 23.50, are also in the final.
Rasheed Dwyer recorded the day’s fastest semi-final time of 20.17, this after 20.68 in the prelims earlier.
Kyle Greaux of T&T 20.47, St. Kitts and Nevis’ pair of Antoine Adams 20.59 and Brijesh Lawrence 20.66, Teray Smith of Bahamas 20.63 and Barbadian Nicholas Deshong 20.65, are also in the final.
