Canada's Bruny Surin in action at the 1997 IAAF World Indoor Championships (© Getty Images)
Bruny Surin proved he's the man to beat among Canadian sprinters this season as he claimed his second national 100 meters title in a wind-assisted time of 9.88 on Saturday.
Olympic 100 meters champion Donovan Bailey, 31, whose sluggish run in the afternoon heats (10.38) nearly kept him out of the final, rebounded to finish third in a time of 10.19. Second place went to Brad McCuaig, 28, in 10.18.
The eight finalists in the marquee race of the 100th Canadian athletics championship were aided by a tailwind measured at 3.1m/s.
"I was a little disappointed about the wind but I saw the race in slow motion and technically it wasn't perfect. I know what I have to do," said Surin, 31. "I'm very excited to go back to training again to get 100 per cent," added the Haitian-born athlete who returned home to Montreal Sunday rather than run in the 200 meters.
Bailey, whose world 100 meters mark of 9.84 seconds set at the 1996 Olympics was smashed 10 days ago by American Maurice Greene, appeared relieved after the final. In only his third race since rupturing his right Achilles’ tendon last September, Bailey once again failed to post a sub-10 second time. Still, it was his best showing to date.
"There's tons of things I have to work on," said Bailey, who was fastest out of the blocks Saturday. "What I have to work on now is my breathing and transition," Bailey said, adding his start should put an end to questions about his injury. "I'm still rusty. I'm stiff. I'm running very robotic," he added.
Surin, who had clocked the season's fastest time of 9.92 prior to Greene's record, will race next Wednesday in Rome. Bailey is slated to run in Paris next Saturday.
The three day championships in Winnipeg serves as the trials for Winnipeg's 1999 Pan American Games from July 23 to August 8, and the IAAF world championships in Spain in August.
Leading results
Men
100 m: 1. Bruny Surin, 9.88 (3.1 m/s): 2. Brad McCuaig, 10.18; 3. Donovan Bailey 10.19
200 m: 1. Glenn Smith 20.66
400 m: 1. Shane Niemi 45.52 NR (precedent record by Anton Skerrit 45.62) 800 m: 1. Zach Whitmarsh 1:49.25
1500 m: 1. Graham Hood 3:42.66
110 hurdles: 1. Adrian Woodley 13.83
400 m hurdles: 1. Alexandre Marchand 49.79
3000 m steeple: 1. Joël Bourgeois 8:32.41
Pole vault: 1. Jason Pearce 5.25m
Javelin throw: 1. Erin Bevans 74.73m
High jump: 1. Kwaku Boateng, 2.24m
Long jump: 1. Richard Duncan 7.79m
Triple jump: 1. Richard Duncan 16.40m
Shot put: 1. Brad Snyder 19.00m
Discus throw: 1. Jason Tunks 59.70m
Women
100 m: 1. Philomena Mensah 11.17
200 m: 1. Philomena Mensah 23:04
400 m: 1. Foy Williams 52.55
800 m: 1. Vicky Lynch-Pounds 2:02.53
1500 m: 1. Leah Pells, 4:16.47
100 m haies: 1. Katie Anderson 12.76
400 m haies: 1. Karlene Haughton 56.57
3000 m steeple: 1. Karen Harvey 10:17.55
High jump: 1. Nicole Forrester 1.87m
Triple jump: 1. Michelle Hastick 13,43m
Shot put: 1. Georgette Reed, 16,31m
Discus throw: 1. Robin Lyons, 54,15m
Hammer throw: 1. Caroline Wittrin 61.57m
