Kingston, May 8

Former 100 metres world record holder Asafa Powell flashed across the finish line in 20.45 seconds to win the men’s 200m race at the Jamaica International Invitational on Saturday.

Powell held off a strong field at Kingston’s National Stadium and later described the 200m victory as a learning experience. “Honestly I don’t remember how to even run the 200m event so this is a work in process,” he said. The 33-year-old Powell said he felt good for the first 150m then got tired over the last 50m. “But I worked hard all week,” he added.

Powell finished ahead of American Bejee Lee and Jamaican Rasheed Dwyer, who both ran 20.52 seconds. World Championships medallist Shaunae Miller of the Bahamas retained her 200m title with a magnificent run, breaking away from the women’s field in the last 60m to win by a massive margin in a wind-aided 22.14 seconds.

Anneisha McLaughlin-Whilby was second in 22.79 seconds and Shalonda Solomon took third in 22.80 seconds. Kemar Bailey-Cole’s winning time of 10.01 seconds in the men’s 100m was also a highlight of the night. Bailey-Cole, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the World Championships in Beijing last year, surprised himself with his fast time, the joint sixth fastest in the world so far. Tyson Gay, of the US, finished fifth in a time of 10.08 seconds.

Elaine Thompson, who won the bronze in the world indoor 60m in Portland in March, was brilliant in winning the women’s 100m in a time of 10.71 seconds.