Jamaican Olympians Veronica Campbell-Brown and Asafa Powell were the winners of the inaugural 50-m dash at Madison Square Garden’s inaugural U.S. Open, held in Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden this past weekend.  Trinidadian Renny Quow also won the men’s 600-m yard dash.

Campbell-Brown, 29, won in a time of 6:08 ahead of the US’ Jessica Young, 6:20 in the women’s 50-m dash, while Powell, also 29, took the win with 5.64 ahead of his countryman, Nesta Carter’s 5.67 in the men’s 50-m.

“I had a slip in the blocks,” Powell said, “but as soon as I got out, the race was over.” Justin Gatlin of the U.S., the 2005 World 100m and 200m champion who returned in 2011 from a four-year ban after a drug sanction, was a well-beaten fourth. The race was billed as a world record attempt, but Canadian Donovan Bailey’s 5.56 from 1996 survived easily.

“This is a step in the right direction. Now I have to get back to training. Hopefully this is a preview of what is to come,” she said. Campbell-Brown will attempt this year to become the first-ever winner of three Olympic 200m titles. Also doing the Caribbean proud was Trinidadian Renny Quow who won the men’s 600-m yard dash.

For full article, see http://www.newsamericasnow.com/jamaican-olympians-dominate-50-m-dash-at-u-s-open/

Photo of Campbell-Brown from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1142379/13/24/index.htm