media_artricles :: 2012

Young Guns

Jehue, Njisane shine at London Games

Jehue Gordon is the first Trinidad and Tobago hurdler to qualify for an Olympic final.

The 20-year-old clocked a new national record at the Olympic Stadium, here in London, England, yesterday, getting to the line in a fast 47.96 seconds to secure second spot in semi-final number two and an automatic berth in tomorrow's London 2012 men's 400 metres hurdles championship race.

"I'm really happy with the time," Gordon told the Sunday Express. "Things are unfolding when they're supposed to."

Heading into the home straight, the 2010 world junior champion was in second spot. He stayed there, beating T&T-born American Kerron Clement (48.12) and Great Britain's reigning world champion David Greene (48.19) into second and third, respectively. Clement and Greene qualified for the final as "fastest losers".

Dominican Republic's Felix Sanchez was first to the line, the 2004 Olympic champion stopping the clock at 47.76 seconds—the fastest time in the semis.

The other semi-final races were won by Puerto Rican Javier Culson (47.93) and American Michael Tinsley (48.18).

Gordon was the fourth fastest man in the semis, behind Sanchez, Culson and USA's two-time Olympic gold medallist Angelo Taylor, the runner-up to Culson in heat two in 47.95.

The young T&T athlete is looking forward to the final.

"The expectation is to have fun. Anything could happen, once you believe in yourself, keep calm, keep focused and keep positive."

T&T track star Richard "Torpedo" Thompson has been drawn in the second of three semi-final heats in the men's 100m dash. At 2.53 this afternoon (T&T time), the 2008 Olympic silver medallist will square off against reigning champion Usain Bolt, of Jamaica.

The race will also feature American Ryan Bailey, who led all qualifiers into the semis with a 9.88 sizzler in the first round, yesterday.

Running into a 1.4 metres per second headwind, Thompson was second in his heat in 10.14 seconds, finishing behind American Tyson Gay (10.08). Bolt topped his heat in 10.09.

"I'm taking things one step at a time," Thompson told the Sunday Express, "just like I did in Beijing. There's no pressure on me, so I just have to relax and execute the race like I know how to."

National champion Keston Bledman will do battle with 2004 Olympic gold medallist Justin Gatlin, of the United States, and Jamaican Asafa Powell in the first semi-final. With only two automatic championship race berths up for grabs, expect fireworks. The race takes place at 2.45 p.m.

In his first round heat, Bledman was third in 10.13, behind Briton Dwain Chambers (10.02) and France's Jimmy Vicaut (10.11).

Bledman told the Sunday Express that the cramp he got in his hip while in the blocks at last month's Aviva London Grand Prix made him tentative in yesterday's race.

"I'm going back to the drawing board and coming back for the semi-finals a totally different Keston."

At 3.01 p.m., the other T&T sprinter in the 100m, Rondel Sorrillo squares off against Gay in the third semi-final. Also in the race is Jamaica's reigning world champion Yohan Blake.

In the first round, Sorrillo copped third spot in his heat, clocking 10.23 seconds to trail Gatlin (9.97) and Bahamian Derrick Atkins (10.22) to the line.

"The first 50 metres," said Sorrillo, "felt great. As I straightened up, though, everything didn't flow as I wanted it to. But I'll look to correct that in the semis."

The championship race takes place at 4.50 p.m.

T&T quarter-miler Lalonde Gordon faces Bahamian Demetrius Pinder in heat one in the men's 400m semis. The race is scheduled for 3.40 this afternoon.

In the opening round, yesterday, Gordon finished second in heat six in 45.43 seconds to book a lane in the semi-final round.

The other T&T quarter-milers, Deon Lendore and Renny Quow, are out of the event.

Lendore was fifth in heat two in 45.81 seconds—not fast enough to earn him a "fastest loser" berth in the semis. Quow, meanwhile, did not face the starter because of a hamstring injury.

T&T's Janeil Bellille will be on show at 2.24 this afternoon, in the opening round of the women's 400m hurdles.

Njisane Phillip became only the second T&T cyclist to reach the quarter-final round of an Olympic Games men's sprint event, when he upset Germany's Robert Forstemann, at the Velodrome, yesterday.

Maxwell Cheeseman finished eighth at the 1988 Games, in Seoul, South Korea. Phillip is hoping to improve on that performance, and will continue his bid for precious metal, against Russia's Denis Dmitriev, in the fourth quarter-final, today.

After beating New Zealand's Edward Dawkins in the opening round, the 21-year-old cyclist said he is ready to face any opponent.

"For me to get the gold, I've got to ride against everybody."

In his showdown with Dawkins, the T&T rider enjoyed a comfortable victory.

"I surprised myself," Phillip told the Sunday Express. "I got over the top, and I knew it was over. I just want to keep the energy rolling and pull it off again."

He did, the 2012 Pan American Championship gold medallist holding off a strong-finishing Forstemann to move into the last eight.

Earlier, Phillip clocked 10.202 seconds in the flying 200 metres—the qualifying event for the sprint. The ride earned him 10th spot in the 17-man field.

"I got really angry when I saw my time."

Phillip is the Pan American record-holder at 9.775 seconds. The clocking is faster than the previous Olympic record—9.815, set in Beijing, China by Great Britain's 2008 gold medallist Chris Hoy. The new record—9.713—was established yesterday by another Briton, 2008 silver medallist Jason Kenny.

The sprint quarter-finals start at 11.34 a.m.

T&T sailor Andrew Lewis enjoyed his best day on the water in the men's Laser class event, copping 14th spot in race nine and finishing 26th in the 10th and final race of the opening series.

Lewis finished with a net points total of 315, his efforts on the Weymouth Bay West course, in Dorset, yesterday, earning him a big jump on the overall standings, from 45th to 37th.

The top ten sailors in the opening series will compete in tomorrow's medal race. Australian Tom Slingsby has 25 net points and is well positioned to win the event. While points will count double tomorrow, Slingsby leads second-placed Pavlos Kontides, of Cyprus, by 14 points, and requires only a seventh-place finish to take gold.

T&T shooter Roger Daniel will be in action from four a.m. today, at the Royal Artillery Barracks, in the men's 50m pistol qualifying event. The final is scheduled to start at 7.30.

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