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Commonwealth Games champion Janieve Russell won her third in a row and fifth overall national women’s 400m hurdles title on Friday night by beating a very good field at the National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium.
In a highly competitive race, Russell faced tough competition and was outpaced for a significant portion of the event. However, she displayed her strength and determination by producing a strong finish, narrowly defeating Andrenette Knight and Rushell Clayton in a tightly contested finish.
Russell claimed victory with a season-best time of 53.75 seconds, now standing as the fastest time among Jamaican women in the event this season. Her impressive performance propelled her to fourth place in the world rankings, trailing behind Femke Bol (52.30) from the Netherlands, and the American duo of Britton Wilson (53.23) and Shamier Little (53.38).
Andrenette Knight, who endured a fall while leading in last year's final, clocked a new season-best time of 53.78 seconds, securing second place. Rushell Clayton, who led in tearaway fashion, finished closely behind in third place with a new season-best time of 53.81 seconds.
The championships, set to conclude on Sunday, are serving as the Jamaica Trials for upcoming international competitions.
Senior athletes are fiercely contending for coveted spots to represent the country at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, scheduled to take place from August 19 to 27.
Alongside selecting the team for the World Athletics Championships, the Jamaica trials will also determine the composition of the squads for three junior competitions. These competitions include the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica (July 21-23), the Pan American Under-20 Athletics Championships in Puerto Rico (August 4-6), and the Under-18 Commonwealth Youth Games in Port of Spain, Trinidad (August 6-9).
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