media_artricles :: 2018

Ahye sixth in 60m final

T&T's Michelle-Lee Ahye ran a season's best 7.13 seconds to place sixth in the final of the women's 60 metres at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, United Kingdom, yesterday.

Ahye challenged a tough field for top honours but it was Ivory Coast pair Murielle Ahoure and Marie-Josee Ta Lou dominating the dash with the former sealing gold in a World-leading 6.97 seconds. Ta Lou copped the silver crossing in a personal best's 7.05.

Mujinga Kambundji of Switzerland bagged bronze in 7.05, just five thousandths behind Ta Lou. Olympic 100m and 200m champion Jamaican Elaine Thompson was fourth in 7.08, just ahead of two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers of the Netherlands (7.10) for fifth place.

Ahye was an automatic qualifier for the final, running a season's best 7.15 to follow Ivory Coast's Marie-Josee Ta Lou (7.08) to the line in the second of three semifinal heat. This after advancing out of the opening round as an automatic qualifier as well finishing runners-up in a time of 7.23 to Ezinne Okparaebo of Norway (7.22) in heat one.

T&T's Kelly-Ann Baptiste also moved on from the first round, running a season's best of 7.25 to cross fifth in heat six to qualify as one of the fastest losers. Baptiste however did not progress out of the semifinals after placing sixth in the first heat, although bettering her previous season's best with a 7.21-clocking.

T&T's Deon Lendore will race for gold in the men's 400m finals after qualifying in the most intense race of the three semifinal heats. It was in the third heat and it was the closest with just 0.05 separating the top three. Lendore took possession of the lead at the bell, with Slovenia's Luka Janezic shadowing him and Pavel Maslak, the two-time defending champion, another step behind.

Down the back stretch, Maslak battled past the Slovenian, building a two-metre gap and now shadowing Lendore as the trio approached the final straight. The decision went down to the proverbial wire, with Maslak eventually sneaking by by a scant 0.01 in 46.32 ahead of Lendore (46.33) with Janezic, who made up most of the gap on the outside, coming up just short in 46.37. Lendore crossed in 46.33.

Lendore will race from out of lane one in the medal race today at 4.20 pm (TT time).

Another T&T athlete Asa Guevara reached the semifinal round in the one-lap event but his time of 46.91 earned him fifth spot to not progress. Guevara earned his spot in the semifinals after placing fourth in heat two in 46.92, to advance as one the fastest losers.

Lone field athlete Cleopatra Borel placed ninth in the women's shot put event with her best throw, measuring 17.80m. Her other marks were 17.33 in her opening toss and 17.40 in her third. Winning gold was Anita Marton of Hungary with a World-leading 19.62, silver went to Jamaican Danniel Thomas-Dodd with a national indoor record 19.22-throw and bronze, China's Lijiao Gong with a season's best 19.08.

Today, sprinters Keston Bledman and Emmanuel will compete in the men's 60m, Mikel Thomas in the 60m hurdles and the 4x400m relay team.

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