Megan Tapper and Rusheen McDonald brought the curtains down on the final day of the JAAA/Puma National Athletics Championships with splendid wins Sunday night.

Tapper, who won 100m hurdles bronze at the 2020 Olympics, sped to a personal best of 12.34 (0.1mps) seconds, which is the sixth fastest time in the world.

The emotional Tapper, who missed the Olympic Games last year after finishing fourth, left the blocks like a bullet and was never in danger, keeping national record holder Ackera Nugent at arm’s length to the line.

Last year, Tapper finished fourth at the National Championships and failed to make the team to the Olympic Games.

Nugent, who has been in tremendous form, was second in 12.41 with Amoi Brown punching her ticket to Tokyo, finishing third in 12.67.

In the men’s 110 hurdles, race favourite Rasheed Broadbell got injured warming up, paving the way for Orlando Bennett to win in 13.10 ahead of Demario Prince (13.12) and Tyler Mason (13.22).

2020 Olympic gold medallist Hansle Parchment, a usual slow starter, hit a hurdle and finished sixth and will have to watch the World Championship after failing to book his ticket. He had won silver at the 2023 World Championship.

At 35 years old, this could be the end of Parchment making it to a major global competition again.

Meanwhile, national 400m record holder Rusheen McDonald once again turned up at the right time and punched his ticket to Tokyo with a well-timed run, winning in 44.89 while easing up at the finish.

With a personal best of 43.93, done in 2015, McDonald, also known as ‘Big Boy’, silenced his doubters, capturing his first national title.

The emerging Delano Kennedy ran his lifetime best of 44.91 for second, with former national champion Jevaughn Powell fading into third with 45.08. Zandrion Barnes was fourth in 45.22.

But with the World Championship qualifying mark being 44.85, the Jamaicans will have until August 24 to get the mark to be eligible.

This is what irked most Jamaicans to see McDonald easing up, putting his hand to his mouth, gesturing for silence when, had he run through the tape, he could have easily attained the mark.

In the women’s equivalent, Nickisha Pryce defended her title with a season’s best 49.97 ahead of the fast-finishing Dejanea Oakley in second and Stacey-Ann Williams in third. Both clocked 50.08, all dipping below the qualifying mark. Leah Anderson, who went out a bit fast, faded into fourth in 50.78.

Bryan Levell allays fears of injury with a solid win in the 200m in 20.10 ahead of Christopher Taylor in 20.28. Adrian Kerr was third in 20.49. Both Taylor and Kerr will have to try and get the qualifying mark of 20.16.

Ashanti Moore secured her first national title, winning the 200m in 22.66 ahead of Gabrielle Matthews in 22.80 and Roneisha McGregor third with 22.86. Moore, who made the 100m final, will now try to achieve the World Championship qualifying mark of 22.59.