By Gary Kingston
Stephen Abosi got the meet record he was looking for Saturday at the Harry Jerome Indoor Games, but he’s got a feeling it might not be fast enough to last very long.
The 24-year-old UBC grad won the marquee open men’s 60 metres in 6.90 seconds at the Richmond Oval, just a tick off the 6.89 he ran in the preliminaries. That was a clocking that bettered the 2014 meet record of 6.91 set by Nathan George of Trinity Western University.
“I got left in the blocks, didn’t really get the explosive start that I needed,” Abosi said of the final. “I guess my mind wasn’t clear enough. When the gun went, I kind of had to think to go rather than reacting to it. But it’s alright, I finished well.”
So did many others as several meet records were broken by the more than 500 runners, hurdlers, high jumpers and shot putters competing in the six-hour, 60-plus event meet for athletes aged from eight to 80.
This was Abosi’s fourth time running at the Jerome and “I’ve loved it every year.
“I’ve been eyeing this record for the past couple of years. I was in the finals where the previous meet record was set . . . and I’ve spent the next two years trying to get it. I was happy I was able to do it, just a little sad I didn’t get to break it a little (more).”
Eighteen-year-old Anastas Eliopoulos of Vancouver Olympic Club was second in the final in 7.12, while UBC freshman Michael Aono, 19, won the B final in 7.10.
“I am very nervous about Michael Aono,” said a grinning Abosi. “He might be the one to take (the record) from me, maybe even next year. I was wishing I made the record a little harder for these young guys, but we’ll see.”
The thing is, Abosi, himself, could be even faster next year.
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