media_artricles :: 2012

Happy Hackett

T&T sprinter pleased with Olympic performance

Semoy Hackett is very satisfied with her performances at the Olympic Games here in London, England.

Yesterday, the 23-year-old sprinter finished eighth in the women's 200 metres final, at the Olympic Stadium, the result making her the second most successful female Trinidad and Tobago athlete in Olympic history. Kelly-Ann Baptiste is in the number one position, thanks to her sixth-place finish in Saturday's 100m final.

In the half-lap championship race, Hackett got to the line in 22.87 seconds. The race was won by American Allyson Felix in 21.88, while silver went to 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the Jamaican getting home in 22.09. Felix's teammate, Carmelita Jeter clocked 22.14 to secure bronze.

"I feel good," Hackett told the Express, after the final. "This is my stronger event, and I was determined to medal, but the field was tough."

Coming off the turn, Hackett trailed her rivals, and was unable to get herself back in contention for a podium finish.

"My coach told me to run 60 metres hard, relax, and then go again for the last 80, but by that time..."

In Tuesday's 200m semis, Hackett finished third in her heat in 22.55 seconds. The clocking equalled her own national record, and she advanced to the final as a "fastest loser". And in the opening round of the 100m, last Friday, Hackett clocked a personal best 11.04 seconds, to finish second in her heat. She bowed out in the semis.

"I'm very satisfied. Now, I have to regroup for the relay. All the girls want to win."

Michelle-Lee Ahye, Baptiste, Kai Selvon and Hackett will be in action at 3.20 this afternoon (T&T time) in heat one in the women's 4x100m qualifying round. The T&T quartet will run in lane four, next to Nigeria (three) and Japan (five). United States have been drawn in lane two.

Wayne Davis II bowed out of the men's 110m hurdles in yesterday's semifinal round, the America-born T&T athlete finishing sixth in heat one in 13.49 seconds.

"Out of the blocks it was great," Davis told the Express, "but I hit the first hurdle really really hard with my lead leg on my way up, so there was no way to recover from that. All I had to do was push, and from there the whole race was a disaster pretty much."

Back in 2007, Davis, running for the United States, was crowned world youth (under-18) champion in the sprint hurdles. He has Trinidadian parents, and later decided to compete for T&T.

London 2012 was Davis's first time representing the Red, White and Black. He said he enjoyed being part of the T&T team.

"Trinidadians, they're real fun people—never a dull moment. They accepted me as part of them, so I never had any problems."

However, Davis was not pleased with his efforts on the track. In the opening round, the 20-year-old was fourth in heat two in 13.52 seconds, progressing to the semis as a "fastest loser".

"It was a good experience. Not what I wanted, not at all. But it's a learning experience, and next year I'll come back, recuperate and see what I could do. But overall, I've had a lot of fun, and it's definitely something I would love to do again.

"What I have to do," he continued, "is take every learning experience and put them together. Once I do that, I can run those fast times that I've been looking for. I know I have really fast times in me. I just have to not make mistakes during the race."

Davis said he will be ready to challenge the best sprint hurdlers on the planet at the 2013 World Championships, in Moscow, Russia.

"I have a lot of time to get stronger, and I'll be a little bit older."

Davis also has a vision for the 2016 Olympic Games, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"The gold. Going for the gold."

T&T's men's 400m bronze medallist, Lalonde Gordon, will be at the Olympic Stadium today for the qualifying round of the men's 4x400m relay.

Gordon will team up with Deon Lendore, Jarrin Solomon and Ade Alleyne-Forte in heat one, scheduled for 6.35 a.m. (T&T time). T&T will do battle with Great Britain, Belgium, South Africa, Cuba, Kenya, Germany and Poland. The top three teams will advance automatically to tomorrow's final.

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