media_artricles :: 2015

Bledman bags bronze behind Gatlin 'gun'

Walcott 8th in javelin at Doha Diamond League

Keston Bledman bagged bronze in the men's 100 metres dash at the Doha Diamond League meet, in Qatar, yesterday. The Trinidad and Tobago track star got to the line in 10.01 seconds to match his season's best clocking.

Bledman produced the earlier 10.01 run on April 24 in Florida, USA. The clocking had earned him top spot on the 2015 world performance list, a position he held up until last Saturday when he was replaced by Jamaican Asafa Powell (9.84).

Yesterday, it was Powell who was knocked off the top of the leaderboard, American Justin Gatlin sending a stern warning to the world's sprint elite with a personal best 9.74 seconds sizzler in his very first 100m outing this season.

Gatlin dominated the Doha field, finishing well ahead of Mike Rodgers, his fellow-American picking up silver in 9.96. Bledman was third, while fourth spot went to evergreen St Kitts and Nevis athlete, Kim Collins, the 39-year-old sprinter getting home in 10.03.

T&T's Keshorn Walcott opened his 2015 campaign with an eighth-place finish in the Doha Diamond League men's javelin event. The reigning Olympic champion's best throw on the day was his 80.68 metres sixth round effort.

Walcott opened with a 77.37m throw, but improved to 80.59m in round two. After fouling in the third round, he landed the spear 80.49m and then 79.24m, before closing out the competition with the 80.68m throw.

Finland finished one-two in the men's javelin. The 2007 world champion, Tero Pitkamaki won with a world-leading 88.62m effort, beating his countryman, 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Antti Ruuskanen (86.61m) into second spot. Czech Republic's reigning world champion, Vitezslav Vesely (83.67m) finished third.

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