media_artricles :: 2015

Hot 400 field

One of the most eagerly-anticipated showdowns at the 2015 NGC-Sagicor NAAA Open Track and Field Championships is off. Deon Lendore sustained an injury at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships, earlier this month, and is not expected to face the starter at the Hasely Crawford Stadium this weekend.

A mouth-watering men’s 400 metres duel featuring Lendore and Machel Cedenio was on the cards for Saturday evening. But National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) PRO, Peter Samuel told the Express yesterday that Lendore will not compete at the Trinidad and Tobago Championships because of the injury to his right knee.

All athletes hoping to be selected for national duty are required to take part in the Championships. The NAAA, however, can grant exemptions. Samuel said that Lendore is one of two athletes seeking an exemption because of injury. The other one is female sprinter Kai Selvon. The athletes must prove their fitness before being considered for selection.

While local track and field fans would be disappointed about not getting to see two of the fastest quartermilers in the world this year square off against each other, the men’s 400m final will still be a high-quality event.

Cedenio is third on the 2015 world performance list with the 44.36 seconds personal best he produced in winning the Cayman Invitational title on May 16. That superb run earns the 19-year-old world junior champion the favourite’s mantle ahead of Saturday’s one-lap showdown.

Also on May 16, Lendore struck gold at the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championships in Mississippi, USA in 44.41 seconds, and is fourth on the 2015 global list.

In Lendore’s absence, the strongest challenge for Cedenio could come from 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon. On May 9, in St Martin, Gordon was triumphant in 45.50 seconds. And ten days ago, he finished second at the IAAF World Challenge meet in Morocco in 46.02. Though Gordon’s clocking in Morocco was not particularly impressive, his finish was, the 26-year-old quartermiler powering down the home straight to snatch the silver.

Renny Quow will also be a contender for gold on Saturday. The 2009 World Championship bronze medallist is the defending national champion, and will not surrender his title easily. Quow’s best run this season is 45.57 seconds—the clocking he produced in finishing fifth at the adidas Grand Prix IAAF Diamond League meet in New York, USA, on June 13. He beat Cedenio in that race, a timely psychological boost ahead of their Open Championship clash.

Jarrin Solomon and Jereem Richards are also eyeing national team selection for July’s Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and the August 22-30 IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China. Solomon’s best clocking this season is 45.62 seconds, while Richards, the 2015 United States junior college 400m champion, produced a personal best 45.91 run in April.

The men’s 400m qualifying round will be staged on Friday evening at the Crawford Stadium. The final is scheduled for Saturday.

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