media_artricles :: 2016

Mark-Baird retains World Masters Heptathlon title

MARSHA MARK-BAIRD of Trinidad and Tobago successfully defended her women's 40-44 heptathlon title on the fourth day of action at the 2016 World Masters Track and Field Championships at the Ern Clark Athletic Centre in Perth, Australia, on Saturday.

On the second and final day of the two-day, seven-discipline Mark-Baird amassed 5390 points to take the gold. At the end of the first day she was in second place with a score of 3139 points behind American Rachel Guest (3206) after her 12.27-second effort in the 80m hurdles, 1.54m/ high jump, 10.21m/shot put and 28.10 sec/200m.

However, on day two, Mark- Baird moved ahead with a strong efforts in the long jump (5.40m) and javelin (38.50m) before clocking 2:40.23 in the 800m to retain the crown she won at the last World Champs in Lyon, France one year earlier. Guest took the sliver (5180) ahead of Sweden's Primrose Ulegård (3962). Mark- Baird, a two-time Olympian, got TT's first medal in Perth and will be aiming to defend her long jump title as well later in the championships.

Dwayne Caines secured the Red, White and Black's second medal when he sped to silver in the men's 35-39 100m finals in a wind-aided time of 10.95 (2.5).

Caines was beaten to the line by Lion Martinez of Sweden (10.94).

Yusuke Shindo of Japan took bronze (11.01).

Caines' silver medal run may have come as a surprise as he narrowly qualified for the finals.

In the preliminaries held on Friday, he was the slowest qualifier finishing ninth overall with 10.91 after finishing third in heat one.

However, in the medal race, he kept his focus and crossed the line in second, though his medal winning time was slower than his run in the prelims.

The TT team competing in Perth received assistance from the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago.

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