By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

Shaunae Miller-Uibo picked up where she left off in the indoor season by winning her outdoor season opener at Pure Athletics Spring Invitational

Miller-Uibo, the reigning Olympic Games 400 metre champion in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, burst out of the blocks and was never challenged as she easily won the women’s 200m in a world-leading time of 22.03 seconds.

In preparation for the postponed 2020 Olympics that will now be held in Tokyo, Japan, where she is expected to compete for a medal in the half-lap race, Miller-Uibo surpassed the previous season’s best of 22.17 that was posted by American Gabrielle Thomas a week ago.

Americans Quanera Hayes ran 22.68 for second place and Lynna Irby got third in 22.75.

The meet, held at the NTC Training Centre in Clermont, Florida, saw a number of Bahamian athletes make their outdoor season debut as they began their trek towards Tokyo.

Devynne Charlton, coming off a meet two weeks ago, won the women’s 100m hurdles in 13.08 well ahead of Paola Vazquez, who did 13.37 and Deya Erickson, who followed in 13.73.

Charlton, competing under the banner of the Bahamas, had the fastest qualifying time of 13.19 in the preliminaries.

Grand Bahamian Teray Smith, representing Puma MVP International, opened up by winning his heat of the preliminaries of the men’s 100m in 10.33 for fourth overall, but he didn’t contest the final that was won by American quarter-miler Fred Kerley in 10.03.

In the 200m, fellow Grand Bahamian Michael Mathieu got 10th place overall in 20.92 after winning his heat, while Smith trailed in 11th place in 21.07 for fourth in his heat.

Erriyon Knighton, competing for Adidas, has the fastest time overall in 20.31.

Pure Athletics’ team-mates Josephus Lyles and Jereem Richards were both timed in 20.37 for second and third respectively.

Alonzo Russell, another Grand Bahamian competing unattached, was fifth overall in the men’s 400m in 46.83 after placing third in his heat.

Matthew Hudson-Smith, competing for Pure Athletics, had the fastest time of 45.51.

Andre Colebrook, representing Puma MVP International, was the lone competitor in the men’s 400m hurdles, running a time of 52.