media_artricles :: 2018

Ahye, St Fort, Thomas in sprint final

Michelle-Lee Ahye, with her electric stride and flaming red hair, yesterday cruised into the Women 100 metres final carded for today at 7.50 am (TT time) at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The 100 and 200 metres Olympic finalist in 2016 will be joined by teammates Khalifa St Fort and Reyare Thomas, who both advanced in their respective semifinal races.

Ahye won her preliminary race in the fastest time of all the semifinalists, 11.27 and then returned later in the evening to win her semifinal in the third fastest time, 11.25.

"I know that some have already predicted and forecast that I would win this event but I am not thinking about that. This is about me just getting better and better. The entire camp is in a good place. I am ready and just going out there and taking one day at a time," said Ahye, who will turn 26, tomorrow.

"It would be a great birthday gift for me and the country so I have already thought of how nice that would be. It is something that will be special but I just want to relax tonight and run my race tomorrow."

Ahye will have double company as both St Fort, fifth fastest (11.35) and Thomas, sixth fastest (11.36) will join her in the medal race. Ahye will race from lane four, St Fort out of lane one and Thomas from lane eight.

Questioned about a possible onetwo- three in the final, a smiling Lee Ahye said, "It is possible, everyone is coming into their own, and it cannot be ruled out, let us see what happens, it is great for the sport."

Thomas who has also been impressive, admitted that there may be a changing of the guard in sprinting in this country.

"It is time for 'Girl Power' in the sprints, this is our time now, I got off slowly but then got going. This is my first 100m final and I am so much looking forward to it and doing my country proud," said Thomas.

St Fort like Thomas has been improving with every race so far.

"I am just disappointed with my start, I have to work on that and I know I will get an earful but I will have to make certain that is corrected in time for the final. I am getting there but it is a process and the final will be what I was working on all the time," St Fort said.

History can be made this morning, if all three women win medals in the final.

Carter fifth in record time 

Dylan Carter finished a close fifth in the Men's 100m freestyle final. "I was in the mix again, I just felt the pain over the last 25 metres but I know I gave it my best and that is all I can ask for. It means I have more work to do," said Carter.

Swimming from lane one, Carter appeared to have drawn level with the leading pack of four at the 75 metres marker but as he explained, that all changed ever so quickly.

"I was glad for the lane one draw as I said yesterday and felt good going into the race and when I hit the water, in fact at one stage with about 25 metres or so to go, I looked across and we all appeared to be level but that is when it all happen quickly, I could not find much. I was not able to carry it through," admitted an obviously tired Carter.

He finished in a time of 48.60, behind Duncan Scott (48.02), Chad Le Clos (48.15), Kyle Chalmers (48.15) and Cameron McEvoy (48.44)

Cedenio, Quow advance in 400m semi, Gordon injured

After the gold medal success of the Men's 4x400m team at the 2017 World Championships in London, all eyes were on T&T's quarter milers in the Men's 400m.

However it was a mixed day for T&T, as both Machel Cedenio, first in his heat in 45.68, and Renny Quow second in his heat in 46.42) progressed to today's semi final.

Quow will compete in semifinal two from lane four at 6.04 am (TT Time) while Cedenio will be in action in the third semifinal from 6.12 am.

Unfortunately, 2012 Olympic Bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon failed to advance, after he appeared to slow down after leading at one stage when he seemed to strain a muscle and just trotted home in sixth with a time of 49.07.

Cedenio said: "After last year, this is a good start for me, I am now back with my old coach and we have been able to put the programme together, I felt good today and I needed the race. Next goal is now to go through in the semifinals and I am just taking things one at a time."

Quow, who has performed consistently for T&T in the past, looked happy and said, "This is my season opener so I was pleased with this and now the goal is to come through the semi final and reach the finals.

I will need to be ready for that and continue to work on certain areas. I am feeling good though."

Gordon was in too much discomfort to speak with media and rushed off to be attended to.

In the Men's 100m, Emmanuel Callender, Keston Bledman and Jonathan Farinha represented T&T. Both Callender and Bledman advanced to the semifinals while Farinha bowed out in the preliminaries.

Both Callender (10.54) and Bledman (10.30) failed to advance from their respective semi final heats into today's Men sprint final.

In beach volleyball, T&T's women suffered their second consecutive loss, 2-0, to Canada. Abby Blackman and Rheeza Grant were beaten 21-7, 21-8. The local women next play Fiji today at 6.30am.

However there was better news later on as Men's team recorded their second consecutive win in Pool A, when the pair of Daynte Stewart and Daniel Williams defeated Fiji, 21-9, 21-17. Next Up for T&T's men will be the host nation today at 5.30 am (TT time) In cycling, Nicholas Paul continued his progress in the sport placing ninth overall from a field of 24 in the Kilometre Time Trial in a time of 1.01.899. The winner was Australia 's Matt Glaetzer (59.340).

On Sunday night 11.17 pm (TT Time), in the Men's 60kg Boxing round of 16, T&T's Michael Alexander was to oppose India's Manish Kaushik looking to reach the last eight for the second Commonwealth Games in a row.

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