Flying start for T&T
By Kwame Laurence in Nassau (T&T Express)
tory Created: May 24, 2014 at 9:41 PM ECTTrinidad and Tobago’s campaign at the inaugural IAAF World Relays here in Nassau, Bahamas got off to a flying start, yesterday.
Spurred on by the electric atmosphere at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium, the T&T combination of Kamaria Durant, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas and Kai Selvon clocked 42.59 seconds to secure second spot in the opening women’s 4x100 metres qualifying heat.
The top-two finish earned T&T an automatic berth in the final, which was contested after press time, last night.
Following Durant’s leadoff run, Ahye was particularly impressive on the second leg, the T&T sprinter tearing up the back straight to put her team in a good position. Thomas performed third leg duties, before Selvon completed a job well done, securing a championship race lane for her country.
Just before press time, T&T produced a solid run in the third and final men’s 4x400m qualifying heat.
Needing a top-two finish to progress automatically to today’s 7.52 p.m. final, T&T obliged, Lalonde Gordon, Renny Quow, Machel Cedenio and Jarrin Solomon combining for second spot in three minutes, 01.06 seconds.
Bahamas won the heat in 3:00.30.
All four T&T quartermilers were solid, ensuring the country an opportunity for precious metal this evening.
Shawna Fermin, Domonique Williams, Romona Modeste and Alena Brooks teamed up for fourth spot in their women’s 4x400m qualifying heat.
The T&T quartet’s time of 3:30.91 was not fast enough for a “fastest loser” berth in the championship race. Instead, T&T will do battle in the “B” final at 6.10 p.m. today.
Fermin and Williams ran the first half of the race. When Williams handed the baton to Modeste, T&T were second. Modeste stayed there up until halfway down the home straight, but then faded to fourth. Brooks battled back to second, but she too faded coming home and crossed the line fourth.
T&T’s clocking was the ninth fastest, Brooks and company just missing out on the eight-team final.
At 5.40 this afternoon, T&T will be on the track in heat one of the men’s 4x100m. Drawn in lane eight, T&T take on Cuba, Japan, Cayman Islands, Great Britain, Netherlands and Australia.
The T&T quartet will be chosen from Keston Bledman, Richard “Torpedo” Thompson, Marc Burns, Darrel Brown and Rondel Sorrillo.
Bledman told the Sunday Express he has great confidence in Team T&T.
“Of course I’m going there to deliver. Myself, Marc, Richard, Darrel, Sorrillo, we came here to deliver. I’m not counting out no other team, but when we step out on the track we bring it because we have Trinidad and everyone supporting us, and God is always on our side. I’m just going there to bring it.”
The men’s sprint relay final is scheduled for 8.37 tonight, and will bring the curtain down on the two-day global meet.
T&T will also be on show today in the women’s 4x800m and 4x200m events.
