World record holder Usain Bolt (centre) jogging his first-round 100 metres heat in 10.14 seconds on yesterday's opening day of the National Senior Championships at the National Stadium.

World record holder Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell were easy qualifiers in the 100 metres on yesterday's opening day of the National Senior Championships at the National Stadium.

Running out of lane six in the opening heat, Bolt took control of the race from early, easing off the pedal midway to win in 10.14 seconds.

Bolt, who expressed his disappointment after the race was called back three times, said, "It (race) was all right."

"After staying in the blocks so long, I did not want to explode," he said.

In the second heat, Powell, the former men's 100m record holder, took victory in 10.36.

Powell said, "The aim was to get out in front and stay there."

Michael Frater took heat three in 10.26 while Yohan Blake won heat four in 10.16.

There were no preliminaries in the women's 100 metres.

400m hurdles

Asafa Powell (centre) winning heat two of the men's 100 metres in 10.36 seconds on yesterday's opening day of the National Senior Championships at the National Stadium. - Photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Earlier, in the 400m hurdles preliminaries, Isa Phillips led the qualifiers into today's final. Phillips won his heat in 48.96 to lead heat two winner Danny McFarlane (49.97) and Dean Griffiths (50.99).

In the women's 400m, Shericka Williams (51.88), Novlene Williams-Mills (52.50) and Bobby-Gaye Wilkins (52.39) were heat winners. Stephanie McPherson (52.01) and Anastasia Le-Roy (52.48), Sonita Sutherland (52.88), Shereefa Lloyd (52.69), Christine Day (52.77) and Rosemarie White, the defending champion, who was third in 53.00 behind Wilkins, were the other leading qualifiers.

In the men's 400m, which saw four competitive heats, Ricardo Chambers is the leading qualifier with 46.03.

Sanjay Ayre, who was second to Chambers in heat one, advanced with his 46.31. Michael Blackwood, the defending champion, who had a final 100m battle with Allodin Fothergill (46.63) and Oral Thompson (46.85), took victory in 46.43.

Heat two went to Lansford Spence in 46.20, ahead of Dane Hyatt (46.22) and Chumaine Fitten (46.81).

In the final heat, which turned out to be the most competitive, Jermaine Gonzales recovered from a slow start to beat Leford Green, who struggled in the final stages for a 46.14 win. Marvin Essor, who also overtook Green, was second in 46.47. Green ended third in 46.64.

top qualifiers

In the men's 800m, Aldwyn Sappleton (1:52.23), Ricardo Cunningham (1:52.46), André Drummonds (1:52.62) and Rayan Lawrence (1:52.87) are the top qualifiers.

In the field, Julian Reid (16.19m) and Jovanne Jarrett (6.75m) were the male triple jump and women's long-jump winners.

Yushani Durrant leapt 6.10m for second in the women's long jump while Damon McLean, with 15.10m, was second in the triple jump.

In the women's discus, Deborah Rose threw 42.53m to take victory. Candicea Bernard was second with 40.19m.