Commonwealth Games 2014
Jehue gets the job done
Friday, August 1, 2014
By Rachael Thomspon-King (T&T Guardian)Jehue Gordon knows how to get the job done.
He came with a plan, executed it well enough to emerge with the silver medal in the Men’s 400 metres hurdles final at the Commonwealth Games here in Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday.
Not even the rain could dampen the mood of T&T supporters at a cold Hampden Park Stadium as Gordon ran a season best 48.75 seconds.
“I must say thanks to Jehovah God,” said the world champion, who had the T&T flag proudly draped over his shoulders. “It’s been a rough season and at the end of the day I have produced when I needed to and I got another medal for T&T.
“Another medal to the tally and hopefully the team will continue to collect more medals throughout the championships.”
He finished behind South African Cornel Fredericks, who won gold in a time of 48.50. Third place finisher Bahamian Jeffrey Gibson chased down Gordon in the final 20 metres but the local hurdler battled to the end, thrusting his body across the line, landing spread-eagled on track to cement his second place. Gibson went on to break his country’s national record with his 48.78.
“I was definitely sensing someone fast approaching and I just wanted to make sure that I had it covered so I just pushed my whole body,” said Gordon, who felt some pain on his side. “Hopefully it’s nothing serious. I just have some pain on my upper hip from the fall.”
Jamaican Annsert Whyte, who was described as a key medal contender, also took a tumble after tripping over the hurdle on the final bend, to crash out of the medal race empty-handed.
Gordon gave T&T its fourth medal of the Games. A silver from shot-putter Cleopatra Borel and two bronze medals from Lalonde Gordon in the men’s 400m and Ayanna Alexander in the women’s triple jump.
In the final event of the night, Josanne Lucas, who false-started in the 400m hurdles event, the day before, redeemed herself by qualifying for the final of the 100m hurdles. She produced a time of 13.38 to place second in heat two.
Other entrant, Deborah John ran 13.63 to place fifth in the final heat, eliminating her.
Earlier, Rondell Sorrillo and Kyle Greaux failed to advance to the final of the men’s 200m event.
Sorrillo was third in heat two recording a time of 20. 57 just missing out as he placed ninth overall.
Greaux clocked 20.93 to place seventh in the third and final heat and held 19th spot from the 22 runners that competed.
It was a Jamaican sweep in the 200m final with Rasheed Dwyer copping gold, Warren Weir taking silver and Jason Livermore bagging bronze.
Reyare Thomas made a brilliant run out in lane eight to finish third in 23.35 in the second heat but did not qualify.
Annie Alexander finished 15th in the Discus event with a best toss of 47.73.
Gordon, Lalonde that is, will go in search of a second medal when he partners with fellow quartermilers Jarrin Solomon, Renny Quow and world junior champion Machel Cedenio in the 4x400m semifinal heats.
The women’s relay team will also be in action today seeking to advance to tomorrow’s medal race.
Richard Thompson’s and Keston Bledman’s mission will also be to qualify for the final of the Men’s 4x100m relay.
The T&T sprinters failed to reach the final of the 100m and are even more “fired up” to get. Other members of the relay squad are Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender and Rondell Sorillo.
The women’s 400m relay team (Kai Selvon, Kamaria Durant, Reyare Thomas, Lisa Wickham and Deborah John) will look to progress also.
Both 4x400 teams will be eyeing a similar goal as they too line up in their respective semifinal heat.
Keshorn Walcott makes his introduction to the Games today in the qualifying round of the javelin event.
The Olympic champion will compete in the second group of throwers from 4.40 pm (T&T time).
SquashAt Scotstoun Campus in the mixed doubles competition, T&T had no success with both teams falling in their pool matches.
Colin Ramasra and Kerri Sample lost to Wales’ David Evans and Deon Saffery, 2-0 (11-1, 11-6) in Pool F while in Pool D, Kale Wilson and Charlotte Knaggs were also beaten, 2-0 (11-2, 11-5) by Peter Creed and Tesni Evans of Wales.
Table TennisStill at Scotstoun, Aleena Edwards and Catherine Spicer topped Botswana’s team of Boitshwarelo Butale and Magdeline Tshepiso Rebatenne, 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-5) in the first round of women’s doubles.
The local duo advanced to play India’s Ankita Das and Poulomi Ghatak in the second round but fell 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-4).
Rheann Chung and Ashley Quashie met Zhenhua Dederko and Ziyu Zhang of Australia in their second round match and they too were eliminated by a similar 3-0 margin, the scoreline reading 11-9, 11-9, 11-9.
Dexter St Louis and Chris Humphreys went under to Singapore’s Zi Yang and Jian Zhan, 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-5) in the third round, to be ousted in the men’s doubles.
St Louis had better luck in the men’s singles competition, defeating Peter Graham of Northern Ireland, 4-2, (11-8, 10-12, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9) and met Zhan again in the round of 32.
It was the Singaporean emerging with the 4-0 victory to knock T&T’s top table-tennis player out the competition.
HockeyT&T hockey women showed a marked improvement defensively but still went under to Wales, 4-0 at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.
NetballAnother dismal performance from T&T netballers saw them crash to a 46-28 defeat to host Scotland and had to settle for 10th spot.
BoxingToday at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC), T&T boxer Michael Alexander will look to take down Northern Ireland’s Joe Fitzgerald in the men’s lightweight division, going at the gold medal as he already assured at least a bronze. The two losing semifinalists will be awarded bronze medals.
GymnasticsT&T gymnast William Albert scored 70.331 to place last from 24 competitors in the men’s all-round final at the SSE Hydro on Wednesday.
