media_artricles :: 2014

TT’s quarter-miler Gordon runs leading 400M

DOUBLE Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon signalled his intention for next month’s World Indoor Championships when he sped to a world leading time of 45.17 in the men’s 400m in winning the event at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston, USA on Saturday.

Gordon completed the two lap indoor event in a new personal best time and also improved the previous world best time of 45.47 by compatriot Deon Lendore on February 1. Gordon finished 0.02 seconds short of Lendore’s national mark of 45.15 which was a massive improvement of his previous best time of 46.43 from 2012.

Gordon is now at 11th on the all-time indoor performance list just behind Lendore who is at tenth. The race is the second 400m for the 25- year-old who clocked 46.67 in his first 400m race for the year one week earlier. The New York-based Nike sponsored quarter-miler had double success in Boston taking the 200m in 20.70, the second fastest of the year. Earlier in the day Lendore was also in fantastic form blazing to victory in the men’s 200m in 20.68 at the Aggie Invitational hosted by his Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. Lendore’s run equalled the world leading time held jointly by American Wallace Spearmon and Jamaica’s Jermaine Browne.

The time is also a personal best for the Olympic bronze medallist and the 2010 World Junior bronze medallist. Shermund Allsop who was sixth behind Lendore in 21.22 also competed in the 60m, but was eliminated in the heats after he was 14th overall in 6.90.

Gordon and Lendore’s performances stood out among several victories by TT athletes on the US Collegiate circuit. Another Texas A and M/TT student Wayne Davis 11, Jarrin Solomon and Steve Waithe also recorded wins.

Davis sped to gold in the men’s 60m hurdles finals at the Aggies Invitational in 7.81 after topping the prelims in 7.85. The reigning NCAA Division One outdoor 110m hurdles champion was slower than his season’s best of 7.75 but recorded his third victory for the 2013 season. Jamol James was second in the men’s long jump with a personal best of 7.43. The 2010 World Junior bronze medallist was also sixth int the men’s 60m finals in 6.76.

Janiel Bellille was runner up in the women’s 400m in 53.05 seconds, improving her personal best for the second time in the year. The 2008 World Junior 400m hurdles silver medallist bettered the 53.58 mark she set on January 25. Michelle-Lee Ahye was second in the women’s Olympic Development 200m in a new pb of 23.44. Triple Olympic medalist Richard Thompson took third in the men’s Olympic Development 60m in 6.72 and was 0.03 seconds shy of his season opening time of 6.69 set on February 1 in Houston. Ade Alleyne-Forte, another member of TT’s Olympic men’s 4x400m bronze medal team, was seventh in the Olympic Development 400m (47.85). Fellow Olympic mile relay medallist Jarrin Solomon sped to victory in a rare 500m event at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston in 1:01.84 narrowly finishing ahead of another TT quarter- miler Renny Quow (1:01.90). Waithe was triumphant in the men’s triple jump at the Skyes and Sabock Challenge Cup in Pennysylvania with a distance of 15.54 and was second in the long jump (7.09). Waithe is competing for Penn State University after transferring from Shippenburg.

One week earlier Kashef Daniel equalled the national record in the men’s high jump when he cleared 2.15m at the Indiana University Relays in Indiana. The Arkansas State student matched the mark held by Kevin Huggins since 2017. Daniel also improved his personal best of 2.14 set on January 17.

RESULTS

Aggie Invitational; (Feb 7-8)

Men 200m; 1st Deon Lendore (Texas A&M/TTO) 20.68 =WL, PB, 2nd Shavez Hart (Texas A&M/BAH) 20.72, 3rd Michael Bryan (Texas A&M/USA) 20.98

6th Shermund Allsop (LSU/TTO) 21.22

60m Hurdles finals; 1st Wayne Davis 11 (Texas A&M/TTO) 7.81. Long jump; 2nd Jamol James (Tennessee) 7.43 PB. 60m Olympic Development; 1st Gabriel Mvumvure (ZIM) 6.70, 2nd Charles Silmon (USA) 6.70, 3rd Richard Thompson (TTO) 6.72

60m finals; 6th Jamol James (Tennessee) 6.76. 400m Olympic Development; 7th Ade Alleyne Forte (TTO) 47.85. Women 200m Olympic Development; 1st Patricia Hall (JAM) 23.11, 2nd Michelle-Lee Ahye (TTO) 23.44 PB, 3rd Victoria Jordan (USA) 25.29

400m; 1st Kamaria Brown (Texas A&M/USA) 52.73, 2nd Janiel Bellille (Texas A&M/TTO) 53.05 PB, 3rd Briana Tatte (Arizona State /USA) 53.09

Long jump; 15th Davis 5.14m.

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