Foster-Hylton takes hurdles gold

MELBOURNE, Mar 24 (Reuters) Brigitte Foster-Hylton scampered to the women's 100 metres hurdles title to complete a Jamaican clean sweep of the sprints at the Commonwealth Games today.

Foster-Hylton clocked a time of 12.76 to win gold, ahead of Angela Whyte of Canada (12.94) and Delloreen Ennis-London of Jamaica (13.00).

The 31-year-old Foster-Hylton started well and was never headed on the way to claiming the first major title. She finished fifth in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and eighth in the 2000 Sydney Olympics final.

''This is very special to me,'' she told reporters. ''This is the Commonwealth Games, the friendly games and I put a lot of effort into this race.

''At the last Commonwealth Games I was in tip-top shape but I got injured just before it so I am very happy to win this race.'' Whyte, 25, came sixth in the 2004 Athens Olympics, two places behind Ennis-London.

Jamaican athletes won the men's and women's 100m and 200m, and the men's 110m hurdles earlier in the Games.

REUTERS PDS BS1504