By Gary Smith

Triple Olympic champion Usain Bolt led the way for Caribbean athletes, who secured ten top places on the 2008 Track and Field News Male World Ranking, released on Monday.

Bolt, the Olympic sprint double champion and world record holder in both events, was ranked world number 1 in the 100m and 200m.

The Jamaican graced the track and field arena in 2008 with some phenomenal performances, including his world records of 9.69 seconds over the 100m and a sparkling 19.30 seconds world mark in the 200m.

His countryman and former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell, who anchored the 4?100m relay team to gold and world record, followed Bolt in the 100m. After his disappointments in the individual event, Powell returned with a sparkling anchor leg. He finished the season with a career best of 9.72secs, achieved days after the Olympics.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Olympic double silver medallist and NCAA indoor and outdoor sprint champion Richard Thompson is ranked number three.

Also on the list in the 100m rankings were Jamaica’s Nesta Carter, who broke 10-seconds this season, Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who had a super season, Jamaican Michael Frater, who also broke 10-seconds for the first in the Olympic finals and T&T’s Marc Burns.

Those trailing Bolt in the 200m were Martina, who is currently appealing his silver medal disqualification for a lane violation in Beijing, and Antigua’s Brendan Christian.

Bahamian Chris Brown, the man who just missed winning a bronze medal at the last three major championships is ranked 3rd in the 400m behind Americans LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner.

Trinidad and Tobago’s 2006 World Junior champion Renny Quow is ranked 7th.

Cuban world record holder and Olympic champion Dayron Robles finished the year as world number one in the 110m hurdles. Robles, who dominated both the indoor and outdoor seasons was the only CARICOM athlete on the sprint hurdle listings.

In the longer version of the event the experienced Jamaican Danny McFarlane is ranked 4th. Trinidadian-born American Kerron Clement, at number one and countrymen Angelo Taylor and Bershawn Jackson is ranked above him.

Three other Jamaicans, Isa Phillips (6th), Markino Buckley (8th) and Adrian Findlay (9th) are also on the list.

The other Caribbean representative ranked on the track is Cuba’s Yeimer L?pez at number seven.

Elsewhere, in the field event rankings, Cuban David Giralt finished the year third best in the Triple Jump with Bahamian Olympic bronze medallist Leevan Sands at 4th and Grenadian national record holder Randy Lewis at 6th.

In the Long Jump, Cuba’s Wilfredo Mart?nez is at 8th, while Jamaica’s Dorian Scott is ranked 9th in the Shot Put and his countryman Maurice Smith also at 9th in the Decathlon.

The release was Track and Field News’ 53rd edition which is compiled by an international panel of experts.

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