( L - R )Chris Williams and Sheri-Ann Brooks - file photos

DAKAR, Senegal (CMC):

Jamaica's Commonwealth Games sprint champion, Sheri-Ann Brooks, copped the women's 100 and 200-metre double at the IAAF World Tour Dakar track and field international meeting on Saturday.

Brooks sped to victory in the 100 metres in 11.24 seconds and clocked a wind-aided 23.20 in the 200 metres.

Chris Williams also posted a Jamaica victory when he won the 200 metres after a very narrow loss in the 100 metres.

Racing in Africa for the first time, Brooks dominated her rivals for the sprint double.

After a slow start in the 100, she accelerated mid-way through the race to recover lost ground, and surged home ahead the American duo of Stephanie Durst (11.30) and Brianna Glenn (11.38).

Brooks, who won the Commonwealth Games 100-metre gold in Australia last year March, logged a more unchallenged victory in the 200 metres, coming into the home straight ahead of Nigeria's Gloria Kemasuoda.

Brooks had the extra drive to easily repel the Kemasuoda (23.71), with Mali's Kadiatou Camara (24.00) placed third.

"I am happy that I have achieved my objective of qualifying for the World Championships at this meeting," Brooks said.

HOPES

"Going forward, I would like to run faster in Doha (Qatar) and Osaka (Japan) in the coming week. This year my goal is to run under 11 seconds in the 100m and 22.2 in the 200m," added Brooks.

Williams, a World Championship silver medallist over 200 metres in 2001, outran American Greg Nixon (20.90) to win the half-lap sprint in 20.72 seconds.

He ran 10.18 seconds and lost the men's 100 metres by a mere 0.01 seconds to Nigerian Olusoji Fasuba (10.17).

Jamaican Germaine Mason, who now competes for Britain, and Martinique-born Adrianna Lamalle, now racing for France, were also winners at the meet.

Mason took the men's high jump at 2.18 metres and Lamalle won the 100-metre hurdles in 12.91 seconds.