media_artricles :: 2018

Double bronze in Oslo for TT

Ahye, Richards bag Diamond League medals

NATIONAL sprint queen Michelle-Lee Ahye produced a season best performance to finish third in the women's 100m as the IAAF Diamond League rolled into Oslo, Norway, yesterday. 

Also among the medals for TT was another Commonwealth Games champion Jereem Richards who clinched a second bronze for TT in the men's 200m.

Ahye was slow off the blocks but gained precious ground in the second half of the stretch to clock 11.06 seconds in her first official event since April's Commonwealth Games. She bettered her time from the Australia event which she won in 11.14 seconds.

While Ahye put on a strong display, she was up against an in-form Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast who went on to win the event in 10.91 seconds. 

Also putting a dent on Ahye's hope for a top-two finish was Great Britain's Dina Asher-Smith, who ran the race of her life. Asher-Smith finished behind Ahoure in a photo finish, breaking her national record with a time of 10.92 seconds.

Following the race, Ahye Tweeted: "11.06 SB, I'll take that for my actual official race after Commonwealth Games.. I'm healthy and happy."

Nigeria's reigning African 200m record holder Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, who has seen better form, finished fourth in 11.12 seconds.

TT's Khalifa St Fort who won gold at the Pan American U-20 Championships last year and was a 2018 Commonwealth Games finalist, gained valuable experience despite finishing last. The 20-year-old clocked 11.28 seconds.

In the men's 200m race, Richards was the third and final TT athlete in action yesterday. He clocked 20.19 seconds, behind race winner Ramil Guliyev of Turkey, who ran 19.90 seconds and runner-up Aaron Brown of Canada, who also dipped under 20 seconds (19.98).

The next leg of the Diamond League will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, where Ahye and St Fort will again line up in the women's 200m.

The TT duo, along with Richards and other top national athletes are expected to be home later this month to contest the NGC Sagicor NAAA National Open Championships, which runs from June 22-24 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

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