LONDON, England – As expected, defending champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown, both of Jamaica, along with Trinidad and Tobago’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste, led the way for the Caribbean on the opening day of track and field at the Olympic Games on Friday.

Fraser-Pryce, who ran hard for only the first half of the race, captured heat six in 11 seconds flat. She took with her Trinidad and Tobago’s Semoy Hackett who clocked a personal best 11.04. She too looked comfortable.

Both Baptiste and Campbell-Brown went faster in preceding heats but Fraser-Pryce was unperturbed.

“My confident is not in man, it’s in God, because he is the one who has brought me here,” she said.

“So I just look forward to the semi-finals with that in mind and I have no fear … It all comes down to who wants it most.”

Baptiste, who won heat one with 10.96, and Campbell-Brown, who took heat three in 10.94, were the only Caribbean women to dip under 11 seconds.

Bahamian Sheniqua Ferguson ran 11.35 to finish third in heat two which was won by the fastest woman on the day, American Carmelita Jeter in 10.83.

Baptiste, the bronze medallist from last year’s Daegu World Championships, also remained confident going forward.

Trinidadian Michelle-Lee Ahye and Jamaican Kerron Stewart also made it to the final 24 but veteran Bahamian Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie failed to make the cut.

Ahye clocked 11.28 seconds to be third behind winner Blessing Okagbare (10.93) of Nigeria in heat four while Stewart was timed at 11.08 as she also finished third in heat seven won by Côte d’Ivoire’s Murielle Ahoure in 10.99.

Ferguson-McKenzie, in her fifth Olympic Games, could only muster 11.32 seconds en route to a fifth place finish in heat six. (CMC)