Steve Mullings
PanAmerican Junior Championships: 2001 (3rd, 100m) National Championships: 2004 (1st, 200m)
Steve Mullings has impressed during the past week as he intensifies his preparation for the upcoming World Championships. Mullings finished fourth at the National Championships in June, but based on the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) rule, he could be considered for an individual spot. According to the rule: “All athletes must maintain and prove their competitive fitness up to the time of the final entry date for the competition.”
In his last outing on Monday, Mullings, running into a negative wind – minus 0.6 metres per second – stopped the clock at 10.11 seconds to win the 100 metres ahead of Italian Simionne Kollio (10.26) and American Bernard Williams ( 10.29) at the Thessa-loniki International track and field meet in Greece .
Last Saturday, in Zaragoza , Spain, Mullings clocked a wind-aided 9.91 over 100m. In that race, he beat American J.J. Johnson (9.92) and fellow Jamaican Clement Campbell, who defeated him at National Championships, (9.92) and Michael Frater (9.95). Earlier in the heats, the former Boys’ Champs Class One sprint double winner for Vere Technical sped to a career equalling 10.05 seconds win.
Mullings, who is the third fastest Jamaican behind Asafa Powell (9.90) and Usain Bolt (10.03), ran 10.11 in Lahti, Finland, on July 25.
Based on the above performances, Mullings has been voted The Gleaner ‘s Top Performer of the Week.