media_artricles :: 2017

Double trouble

Lalonde leads the world in 200

Trinidad and Tobago track star, Lalonde Gordon notched a superb double at the John Thomas Terrier Classic in Boston, USA, on Saturday.

Gordon won the men's 200 metres in an indoor best 20.49 seconds, the clocking earning him the 2017 world lead in the event, alongside American Christian Coleman, who produced his 20.49 run in Arkansas on Friday. Another T&T athlete, Jereem Richards, who led the world for six days with a 20.57 run, is now third on the global performance list.

Gordon, whose previous indoor best was 20.60 seconds, has moved from third to second on the all-time T&T list. Only Ato Boldon, the national record holder at 20.35, has a faster 200m time indoors. Gordon also jumped from 11th to fourth on the all-time Central American and Caribbean (CAC) list. Barbadian Obadele Thompson is the CAC record holder at 20.26 seconds. Boldon is second on the list, with Cuban Ivan Garcia (20.46) third. Richards is joint-eighth with Bahamian Shavez Hart.

Gordon's 20.49 seconds run is a new Boston University facility record. Coppin State University's Haysean Cowie-Clarke also competed in the men's 200m, the T&T sprinter finishing 76th overall in 22.65.

Gordon was in a class of his own in the 400m event. The 2012 double Olympic bronze medallist struck gold in 46.14 seconds, well outside his indoor best 45.17 but good enough for fourth spot on the 2017 world indoor performance list. American Michael Cherry leads the world at 45.91, while Richards is fifth with the 46.37 run he produced in South Carolina on Friday.

Cowie-Clarke clocked 6.90 seconds to finish first in section two and fifth overall in the Terrier Classic men's 60m dash. Monroe College's Dawnel Collymore was 45th overall in the women's 800m in two minutes, 17.80 seconds and 127th in the mile in 5:51.99.

Central Arizona College students, Jeminise Parris and Portious Warren earned two titles each at the Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) Indoor Invitational, in Arizona. Parris won the women's 60m hurdles in a personal best 8.77 seconds and the 200m in 25.45. Warren threw 15.46 metres for top spot in the women's shot put and 16.49m to grab gold in the weight throw.

At the Emirates Arena, in Glasgow, Scotland, T&T's Che Richards struck gold in the Scottish Senior Indoor Championship men's long jump event. Representing University of Edinburgh, Richards disturbed the sand at 7.53m to equal his personal best.

At the Black and Gold Premier meet in Iowa, USA, Carisa Leacock-Sayon won the women's long jump with a 5.91m leap.

In Oklahoma, Sterlen Paul was the class of the J.D. Martin Invitational men's 800m field. The Abilene Christian University (ACU) senior won in 1:58.14. His ACU teammate, Jessica King was sixth in the women's 200m in 25.50 seconds and 18th in the 60m in 7.90.

At the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational, in Virginia, St Augustine's University student Marissa Gale emerged victorious in the women's 200m in 24.91 seconds—a new meet record.

At the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix, in Boston, Renny Quow picked up silver in the men's 600m in 1:17.50. The T&T quartermiler was actually third across the finish line, but was promoted to second following the disqualification of race "winner" Duane Solomon of the United States. Another American, Donavan Brazier (1:16.57) was upgraded from silver to gold.

In Alabama, Tiffin University's Kevin Roberts finished fourth in the Kevin Stephen Invitational men's triple jump event with a 14.36m effort. At the Indiana University Relays, in Indiana, T&T's Peli Alzola finished just off the podium in the women's 60m dash. The Western Kentucky University student was fourth in 7.74 seconds.

At the Wesley A. Brown Women's Invitational, in Maryland, Coppin State University's Khemani Roberts finished sixth in the 60m hurdles in 9.37 seconds and eighth in the long jump with a 5.15m leap. At the Minnesota State Multi & Open meet, in Minnesota, Jada Barker finished eighth in the women's 200m in 26.22 seconds. The Bemidji State University freshman clocked 8.01 for 15th spot overall in the 60m semis. The top eight advanced to the final. In the first round, Barker had produced a 7.95 run.

In Kansas, Micah Ballantyne finished 10th in the men's 200m in 21.82 seconds. And the Adams State University student clocked 6.92 for 17th spot overall in the 60m dash.

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