Source: VINO
Ashley N. Kelly sprinted to gold in the 400m Finals at the Aliann Pompey Invitational Track and Field Meet in Guyana on July 15, 2017. Photo: Lonny
Competing at the 2nd annual Aliann Pompey Invitational Track and Field Meet in Guyana as a tune up for the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London next month, the Virgin Islands’ Ashley N. Kelly sprinted to gold in the 400m Finals on July 15, 2017.
Kelly, making her second appearance at the event in Guyana, completed the quarter mile run in 52.17, ahead of Jamaicans Rushell Clayton (52.80) and Dominique Blake (52.96).
Rio Olympian Kelly booked her place at the IAAF World Athletics Championships when she blazed to a new National Record in the 400m at the Tru Fit Miami Invitational on July 8, 2017.
The qualifying time for London is 52.10 and Kelly ran 51.63 to also break her own National Record of 52.29, which she set at the 2016 OECS Track and Field Championships in the Virgin Islands.
Meanwhile, the US Virgin Islands (USVI) Malique Smith led from start to finish to capture gold in the Men’s 800m.
Smith clocked 1:51.90 to hold off the late challenge of Guyanese Samuel Lynch (1:53.25) and Quincy Morian (1:54.79).
The USVI’s Mikaela Smith (2:37.24) took bronze in the Women’s 800m.
The Aliann Pompey Invitational is the premier international track and field competition in Guyana, South America. In its first year, the competition hosted 11 athletes who went on to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
