media_artricles :: 2014

Thompson, Ahye bid for ‘Continental’ honours

Trinidad and Tobago sprinters Richard “Torpedo” Thompson and Michelle-Lee Ahye will be in action in Marrakech, Morocco today, bidding for honours at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup.

Thompson is the second fastest man in the world this year with the 9.82 seconds national record run he produced on June 21 at the NGC/Sagicor Open Track and Field Championships. However, the 29-year-old track star has not clocked a sub-10 since the 9.82 scorcher, and would be keen to regain his 9-point form in the Continental Cup men’s 100 metres dash.

The other Americas sprinter in the field, American Mike Rodgers clocked 9.93 seconds in finishing second at the Memorial Van Damme IAAF Diamond League finals in Brussels, Belgium, last week Friday, and will go into the race as the favourite. Briton James Dasaolu and the reigning champion, Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre will also face the starter. Ahye clocked a personal best 10.85 seconds at the NGC/Sagicor Championships. However, a hamstring injury halted her bid for Commonwealth Games honours in Glasgow, Scotland, in late July, and she has not competed since. Veronica Campbell-Brown, meanwhile, was victorious at the Weltklasse IAAF Diamond League finals, in Zurich, Switzerland, on August 28, the Jamaican sprint star getting to the line in 11.04 seconds. Ahye and Campbell-Brown are the Americas representatives in the women’s century.

Thompson and Ahye will also see sprint relay action today. There are two other T&T athletes on the Americas team--Olympic men’s javelin champion Keshorn Walcott and experienced shot putter Cleopatra Borel. They will both compete tomorrow.

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