media_artricles :: 2014

Lalonde finishes 5th in World Indoor 400m

T&T’s last remaining chance at a medal at this year’s IAAF World Indoor Championships, in Soport, Poland, rests on sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye, who will challenge for a place in the finals when she contest the semifinal of the 60m dash, today, at 10.30 am. Yesterday, world leader Lalonde Gordon had to settle for a fifth-place finish in the final of the 400m event.

He clocked 46.39, considerably behind Czech Republic’s Pavel Maslak, who topped both the semifinal and the final, clocking 45.24 in the latter stage to break his country’s record. Bahamian Chris Brown took silver in 45.58 with a personal best, while bronze went to American Kyle Clemons (45.74). T&T’s second 400m representative Jarrin Solomon exited in the preliminary heats on Friday. Gordon almost failed to make it into the final, but for the elimination of Jamaica’s Edino Steele who was booted out for a lane violation.

Meanwhile, Ahye sealed a berth into the semifinal of the 60m dash following a second-placed finish in the third preliminary heat. Ahye clocked 7.14, .01 seconds slower that Germany’s Verena Sailer. Ahye’s time was the fifth fastest overall. The heat was won by world leader Murielle Ahoure (7.09) of the Ivory Coast, while Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce won her heat and finished second overall after a 7.12 effort. Geronne Black, T&T’s other female runner was eliminated from the heats, after finishing 31st overall in 7.45 seconds. Black finished fifth out of seven runners in the fifth heat.

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