TT's world championship bronze medallist Josanne Lucas has defeated the reigning World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion, Melanie Walker of Jamaica. Lucas got the better of Walker for the first time in her career, beating the Jamaican at the GP Seisi de Athletismo meet in Uberlandia, Brazil on Wednesday. Lucas, the national women's 400m hurdles record holder, clocked 55.25 seconds to finish ahead of Walker who was third in 55.90 with another Jamaican Nikeisha Wilson taking second in 55.68 seconds. The win is the second in the last week for national athletes in Brazil following Cleopatra Borel-Browne's win in the women's Shot Putt (18.05 metres) in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
Lucas speaking after the race said she was happy with the win. Another national record holder, Rhonda Watkins, was fourth in the women's long jump in her second straight competition. Watkins had a best leap on the day of 6.22 metres. On Sunday in Rio de Janeiro Watkins (2006 World Junior champion) finished out of the medals in 6.54 metres. Winning again was Olympic Champion Keita Costa who took the gold with 6.54 metres with Brianna Glenn of the US(6.49) and Jamaica's Jovanne Jarret(6.36) finishing ahead of Watkins. Mark Burns finished seventh in the men's 200m. The World and Olympic sprint relay silver medallist clocked a slow 21.79 seconds to finish behind American Xavier Carter (20.86) Ainsley Waugh of Jamaica (21.01) and Sandro Ricardo of Brazil (21.06) who took the top three places. Fellow relay medallist Emmanuel Callender was disqualified in the men's 100m after he false-started.