DOUBLE MANIA : Bolt leads usual suspects for both sprints at ‘Trials’, but Weir springs surprise

BY HOWARD WALKER Observer senior reporter walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com  Friday, June 24, 2016    

Olympic 200m bronze medallist Warren Weir is the surprise package among several elite athletes that have signed up for the 100m and 200m double, while Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby has joined the golden girls in what will be an enticing 400m at the Supreme Ventures Senior Championships slated to start June 30 at the National Stadium.

Bolt & Weir

The incomparable Usain Bolt, double 100m Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, double 200m Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, Elaine Thompson, Kerron Stewart and Nickel Ashmeade have all entered for both short sprint, while Asafa Powell, who earlier indicated that he would double, was only entered for the 100m following the Monday, June 20 deadline.

Weir, who has been running some decent times with a seasonal best of 10.07 seconds and a personal best established in 2013 of 10.02, will join the hot 100m involving Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Nickel Ashmeade and Michael Frater.

Weir, who competed at the ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Championships over the 100m distance, has registered a victory this season over the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion and Racers’ teammate Kemar Bailey-Cole. Fraser-Pryce, who was troubled with a niggling toe injury, is down for the 100m/ 200m double and will be looking for a repeat of her triple gold at the 2013 World Championships at the Rio Olympics in August.

Thompson, the 200m World Championships silver medallist, who was prevented from doing the double at Beijing, is registered for both also. Campbell-Brown, who is no stranger to the double, will again attempt the feat along with Kerron Stewart.

Meanwhile, McLaughlin-Whilby, who, under the guidance of Maurice Wilson at Sprintec, has found a new lease on life, will be a most dangerous competitor in the 400m, an event she dominated throughout her high years at Holmwood Technical, but for her professional career in which she mostly concentrated on the 200m. more