Marc Burns produced a solid performance at the Vardinoyiannia meet, in Rethymno, Greece, yesterday, stopping the clock at 10.03 seconds to triumph in the men’s 100 metres ’A’ race.

The Trinidad and Tobago track star dominated his rivals, finishing well ahead of second-placed Frenchman Ronald Pognon (10.13) and third-placed American Mark Jelks (10.19). According to reports coming out of Greece, Burns was slow out of the blocks but stormed back to seize control of the race, building a comfortable lead and then shutting down before the line.

Last Friday, Burns clocked 10.12 seconds to advance to the century final at the Golden Gala meet, in Rome, Italy. However, in the championship race, the 25-year-old athlete was disqualified for a false start. In June, Burns captured the Sagicor National Open Track and Field Championship men’s 100m title with a 10.01 seconds run, his fastest clocking since 2005.

T&T’s women’s 4x100 metres relay team also struck gold in Greece, yesterday. Wanda Hutson, Ayanna Hutchinson, Sasha Springer-Jones and Semoy Hackett combined for a 43.76 seconds run to top the sprint relay. The clocking should be good enough to earn T&T the right to compete at the August 8-24 Olympic Games, in Beijing, China.

The average of T&T’s top two times during the Olympic qualifying period is 43.60 seconds, which puts the country in 15th spot. The top 16 teams will run in Beijing. Tomorrow is the cut-off date for qualification.

In yesterday’s women’s 100m ’B’ race, Hutchinson got to the line in 11.47 seconds to finish second. Lithuania’s Lina Grncikaite topped the field in 11.42, while her compatriot, Audra Dagelyte (11.58) copped third spot. T&T’s Monique Cabral was sixth in 11.89. American Me’Lisa Barber clocked 11.23 seconds to win the ’A’ race.

Ato Stephens (formerly Ato Modibo) bagged bronze in the men’s 400m ’A’ race, the T&T quarter-miler completing his one lap of the track in 45.51 seconds. Angelo Taylor and Bershawn Jackson, both of the United States, finished first and second, respectively, clocking 45.02 and 45.47.

On Sunday, T&T’s Chris Hercules finished eighth in the men’s triple jump at the Athens Grand Prix, in Greece. Hercules jumped 15.70 metres. The event was won by Portugal’s Nelson Evora (17.23m).

And last Friday, at the Guldensp meet, in Belgium, T&T half-miler Melissa De Leon returned a time of two minutes, 06.82 seconds for second spot in the women’s 800m, behind American Nicole Cook (2:04.71) and ahead of Ethiopia’s Almensch Belete (2:08.25).