The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE they avoided another early season clash, American quartermiler LaShawn Merritt and Grenada’s Kirani James made it look so easy in turning in two impressive world-leading times in the men’s 200 and 400 metres respectively in the second Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium on Saturday.

Merritt’s 19.78 seconds in the half-lap race and James’ 44.36 in the one-lap ignites speculation as they prepare for their first showdown this year in the 400m at the Drake Relays over the weekend of April 27-28 at the Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

It was the second time that the CBBI was held and the two came to town and didn’t face each other. In 2013, Merritt won the 200m in 20.34 over fellow American Justin Gatlin (21.22) and James topped the men’s 400m in 44.72 ahead of Bahamians Michael Mathieu (45.83) and Ramon Miller (45.84).

The 29-year-old Merritt, who has already gone on record to say that he intends to pursue American Michael Johnson’s world record of 43.18 seconds, clocked 19.78 in the 200m to produce the fastest time this year as he left Wallace Spearmon trailing in second in 20.40. Mike Rodgers third in 20.42 in a American pack race that only had one outsider in Jason Liverpool from Jamaica, who was sixth in 21.08.

“I feel good. I’ve been training good and smart,” Merritt insisted. “I knew I had a fast 200m in me. I opened with 20.23 a couple weeks ago, but it wasn’t the most technical race. So I wanted to work on some things here and execute my race. It’s been going well. I wanted to run a fast 200 so that I get ready to really drop a time in the 400 and it showed that my training is going well, so now I want to get into a 400 and let it go.”

Merritt, however, know that he will have some stiff competition when he step back up to the 400m. Waiting in the wings is Grenada’s Olympic and world champion Kirani James, who clinched the victory in the men’s 400m in a world leading time of 44.36.

“It lets me know that my training has been going well,” Merritt said. “I an feeling healthy, I’m feeling strong and I’m certainly more wiser than ever and I want it more than anything else. So it’s a different mental approach. I’ve been winning races, but now I want to really run fast.

“I’ve been dissecting the races and staying on my diet so that I can run fast and this is proof that my training has been going good, so it’s just a matter of me getting into a 400m and hopefully my 200m times could match up and allow me to run some fast times.”

Kirani James, in the men’s 400m,ran his second fastest season’s opener as the 2012 Olympic champion left Americans Tony McQuay and veteran Jeremy Wariner well behind in second in 45.34 and 45.55 respectively.

“It was a good race. I’m a little bit cold, but I’m just happy to be out here,” James said. “I think it’s a good indication of how my season is going to pan out. I just have to stay injury free and remain focused.”

On Merritt’s claim to go after the world record, the 23-year-old James said he won’t let the American dream spoil the plans for the native from Grenada where he is a national hero although have a boulevard named after him.

“Everybody have to have their goals, so it does not mean that all of our goals have to line up with each other,” James said. “He’s striving for something great and I’m striving for something great. At the end of the day, we’re all 400m runners, but we are just here to put on a show for the fans.”

James’ coach former American Olympic sprinter Harvey Glance said he enjoy being back in the Bahamas, which he consider his home away from home. He’s delighted to be involved in the Chris Brown Bahamas Invitational, calling it one of the great events to be staged in the region.

“Chris is an amnbasador for our sport. He’s been wnderful to me and Kirani over the years and that’s the reason why we’re here,” he said. “We’re 100 percent behind Chris and is ensuring that he has success in everything that he does.”

As for James’ opener, Glance said in 2013 he opened with 44.7 and went on to do some great things.

“He got a much faster start this season, so it’s going to be a promising season,” Glance projected.

On Merritt’s prediction that he will be pursuing the world record this year, Glance said the one thing you can do is take away any man’s dream.

“Kirani has great things in mind. He never talks about it, but we are about going out there and doing some positive things,” he said. “We’re not just talking about it.”

Chris ‘Fireman’ Brown, who hope to be right in the mix with his counterparts in Rio, indicated that he impressed by what he saw from both competitors, but he wasn’t concerned at all because once he get back to the United States to resume his training, he will be okay.