media_artricles :: 2018

RICHARDS HUNTS GOLD COAST GOLD

Greaux, Hackett and McKnight are ready

History beckons this morning from 7.56 am (TT time) in the men's 200 metres final at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, as T&T's 2017 World Championships bronze medallist in the 200 metres, Jereem Richards and Kyle Greaux for the first time, will line up in the medal race.

The sprinting duo will hope to secure this country's first-ever two gold medals at a major international meet, following Michelle-Lee Ahye's 100m win, on Monday.

Richards easily won his semifinal in a time of 20.41 seconds without ever really being tested and will challenge the clock and the field from the favourable lane four in the title run.

Richards is an athlete who calculates and he believes in his plan: "Is to work it from the start and win the race at the turn. I am not the best of starters but I have really been working on it all season, all off-season and even though the season is early, I definitely think I can get this gold medal. Just going out there to win from the start basically.

"It is a quality field and everyone who won their individual semifinals I need to look at. The South African, the Canadian and the English guy, but I am going out there to do my best. I would love to go under 20 seconds tomorrow (today) please God, I think that is what I need to do to win. If not, I would be satisfied with 20.01 or 20.0 something, just a season best in general," Richards explained.

In the second semifinal a false start was declared where South Africa's Anaso Jobodwana in lane four appeared to have jump the gun, Kyle Greaux who was in the lane three next to him finished third in a time of 20.66, running on late after a slow start and initially missed out on qualification for the 200m finals.

After the race though, the T&T management team headed by George Commissiong, lodged a protest and won it late last night. Greaux is into the final and will challenege for a medal from from lane eight. He replaces South Africa's Jobodwana who had finished second.

In the women's 200m, only Semoy Hackett was able to progress after she finished third in her semifinal in a time of 22.97 and qualifying with the seventh fastest time semis. The 200 m finals is at 7.38 am (T&T Time).

Hackett reflecting on the semifinal run said, "My coach told me to hold on to whoever was in front of me and go with them and I did that. I'm in the final now, so great. Tomorrow will be all about going out and executing a good race and anything can happen on the day."

Both Kai Selvon, who finished fifth in her semifinal contest in a time of 23.42 and compatriot Kamaria Durant, who was sixth in her semis in 23.83 seconds will turn their attention to the women's 4x100m relay event.

"For me it is about continuing my progress after all my injuries over the years and just focusing now on the women's relays coming up," said Selvon.

Meanwhile, Durant said, "I do not know what happen but it was not a good race today so I have to move on and learn from that and improve and look to help the team with the relays now."

From 6.30 pm today, T&T's 400m hurdler, Sparkle McKnight will attempt to again rewrite the record books in the Women's final, racing from lane four. McKnight has already run her personal best of 55.15 seconds in the semifinal and will expect to go well below that to achieve a medal.

Over at the shooting venue yesterday, in the Men's 50m Pistol, Roger Daniel placed ninth with a score of 529, while Rhodney Allen placed 12th after he posted a score of 518.

In the Queens Prize competition, Delborn Ezekiel Joseph finished 27th with 96 points and Michael Perez ended 31st with 94 points.

At the badminton competition, Naim Mohamnmed lost 0-2 against Zin Rei Ryan of Singapore, while Nicholas Bonkowsky lost 1-2 against Uganda's Brian Kasirye.

During the squash contest, Charlotte Knaggs and Kale Wilson lost 0-2 versus Australia in the mixed doubles and then Wilson partnered with Mandela Patrick in the men's doubles and also lost 0-2 to Australia.

In table tennis, Dexter St Louis and Rheann Chung had a solid start in the mixed doubles round of 64, winning 3-0 against Nigel Byran and Natalie Cummings of Guyana, but lost 2-3 in the round of 32 to Singapore opposite number.

Similarly, in the men's doubles, Aaron Wilson and Yuvraay Dookram defeated Romano Spencer and Andre Mitchell of Guyana 3-1, but was defeated in the round of 32, to Fiji 0-3.

In the singles competition, Chung lost 1-4 to India's Madhurika Paktar in the round of 32 as well as Wilson, falling 1-4 to Segun Toriola of Nigeria.

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