Nickel Ashmeade
Encyclopedia
Nickel Ashmeade is a Jamaica
n sprinter who specialises in the 100
and 200 meters
.
Ashmeade first enjoyed success in the sprints as a junior athlete: at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships he beat compatriot Dexter Lee
to the 100 m title, was runner-up to Ramone McKenzie
over 200 m, and teamed up with the pair to bring Jamaica the 4×100 meter relay title. Another medal haul came for the young Jamaican at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
, where he was second to Lee in the 100 m, ran a 200 m best of 20.76 seconds for the bronze medal
, and helped the national team to another bronze in the sprint medley relay
. He competed at the Penn Relays
in 2008 and represented his school, St. Jago High School
– an institution renowned for producing track and field
athletes.
Ashmeade focused on the 200 m at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
and he took the silver medal
, narrowly finishing behind France's
Christophe Lemaitre
. A second silver came in the 4×100 m relay and he departed from his usual oeuvre to help Jamaica to fourth place in the 4×400 m relay. The regional CARIFTA Games
provided him the opportunity for further junior medals: he won the 200 m title and two relay gold medal
s at the 2008 edition and almost repeated the feat in 2009, with the sole difference being a 4×400 m relay silver. His final international outing as a junior athlete came at the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
in Port of Spain
and he won the 200 m gold in a personal best of 20.40 seconds before going on to take a relay bronze medal.
He made the transition to the senior ranks at the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
, where he won the 200 m race ahead of Rondell Sorrillo
. After a quiet 2010, he made significant improvements at the start of the 2011 outdoor season. In May 2011, he completed his first 200 m in under 20 seconds in Kingston, running 19.96 seconds to surprise the more established Wallace Spearmon
and improve upon his previous best by almost half a second. Ashmeade made similar progress in the 100 m at the Ponce Grand Prix
later that month, setting a meet record to beat Justin Gatlin
, 2004 Olympic and 2005 World champion, with a time of 10.05 seconds (an improvement of 0.24 seconds).
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n sprinter who specialises in the 100
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
and 200 meters
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
.
Ashmeade first enjoyed success in the sprints as a junior athlete: at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships he beat compatriot Dexter Lee
Dexter Lee
Dexter Lee is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. He became the first athlete to win back-to-back titles at World Junior Championships in Athletics....
to the 100 m title, was runner-up to Ramone McKenzie
Ramone McKenzie
Ramone McKenzie is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. He turned professional on November 2, 2009, now being trained by American coach Lance Brauman....
over 200 m, and teamed up with the pair to bring Jamaica the 4×100 meter relay title. Another medal haul came for the young Jamaican at the 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics
The 2007 World Youth Championships in Athletics were the fifth edition of the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics. They were held on 11–15 July 2007 in Ostrava, Czech Republic.- Boys :- Girls :- Medals table :- External links :* *...
, where he was second to Lee in the 100 m, ran a 200 m best of 20.76 seconds for the bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
, and helped the national team to another bronze in the sprint medley relay
Sprint Medley Relay
The sprint medley relay, often abbreviated SMR, is a track and field event in which teams of four athletes compete over sprinting distances as part of a relay race. Unlike most track relays, each member of the team runs a different distance...
. He competed at the Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
in 2008 and represented his school, St. Jago High School
St. Jago High School
St Jago High School in Spanish Town, St Catherine, Jamaica, founded in 1744, is one of the oldest, continuously operated schools in the Western Hemisphere...
– an institution renowned for producing track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athletes.
Ashmeade focused on the 200 m at the 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008....
and he took the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
, narrowly finishing behind France's
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Christophe Lemaitre
Christophe Lemaitre
Christophe Lemaitre is a French sprinter, who specialises in the 100 and 200 metres. He is the French 100 m and 200 m record holder with a time of 9.92 seconds and 19.80 seconds as well as being the first caucasian to break the 10-second barrier in an officially timed event.At...
. A second silver came in the 4×100 m relay and he departed from his usual oeuvre to help Jamaica to fourth place in the 4×400 m relay. The regional CARIFTA Games
CARIFTA Games
For the CARIFTA swimming meet, please see: CARIFTA Swimming Championships.The CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association . The games was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles,...
provided him the opportunity for further junior medals: he won the 200 m title and two relay gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s at the 2008 edition and almost repeated the feat in 2009, with the sole difference being a 4×400 m relay silver. His final international outing as a junior athlete came at the 2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
The 2009 Pan American Junior Championships were held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on July 31 to August 2, 2009.-Men:-Women:-External links:*...
in Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
and he won the 200 m gold in a personal best of 20.40 seconds before going on to take a relay bronze medal.
He made the transition to the senior ranks at the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
The 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships was the twenty second edition of the tournament and was held between 3 and 7 July in Havana, Cuba.-Event summary:...
, where he won the 200 m race ahead of Rondell Sorrillo
Rondell Sorrillo
Rondell Sorrillo is a Trinidad and Tobago sprinter, who specializes in the 200 meters.Sorrillo competed in the 200 meters event at the 2008 Olympic Games, but without reaching the final round....
. After a quiet 2010, he made significant improvements at the start of the 2011 outdoor season. In May 2011, he completed his first 200 m in under 20 seconds in Kingston, running 19.96 seconds to surprise the more established Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon
Wallace Spearmon, Jr., is a sprint athlete, who specializes in the 200 meters. He is a two-time NCAA outdoor champion in the 200 m and won the silver medal in the event at the 2005 World Championships in Athletics...
and improve upon his previous best by almost half a second. Ashmeade made similar progress in the 100 m at the Ponce Grand Prix
Ponce Grand Prix
The Ponce Grand Prix de Atletismo is a track and field competition held yearly in Ponce, Puerto Rico at the Francisco Montaner Stadium. The event started in 2007, after the successful hosting of the 2006 Ibero-American Championships.-Competitions:...
later that month, setting a meet record to beat Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin
Justin Gatlin is an American sprinter. He is an Olympic gold medalist, with a 100 m personal best of 9.85 seconds. He served a four-year ban from track and field for testing positive for a banned substance; Gatlin had appealed the ban in 2009, but it was later denied.- Biography :Gatlin attended...
, 2004 Olympic and 2005 World champion, with a time of 10.05 seconds (an improvement of 0.24 seconds).
Personal best
| Distance | Time | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 9.96 s (+1.1 m/s) | 4 June 2011 | Clermont Clermont, Florida Clermont is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States, west of Orlando. The population was 13,100 in 2008. The city is essentially residential in character and its economy is centered in retail trade, lodging, and food and beverage establishments, which are tourism oriented. The historic... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
| 200 m | 19.95 s (+1.6 m/s) | 7 May 2011 | Kingston Kingston, Jamaica Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island... , Jamaica Jamaica Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic... |