Reigning national 200 metres champion, Michelle-Lee Ahye, and Semoy Hackett have qualified for the XXXI Olympic Games 200m semi-finals test at the Olympic Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at 9 am (TT Time). The first rounds for men is at 11am.
Ahye, fresh from her sixth place finish in the women's 100m run less that 24 hours ago, took on a tough field and again produced a comfortable 22.50 seconds, the fourth fastest time to book her place in the semis.
Ahye, of Carenage, told the Trinidad Guardian after her half-lap run: “I am feeling pretty good, a little sore but I am good. Most people say this is my stronger race. My coach told me just run the curve hard and just sail home and book my place in the semi-final. I am looking to bring my ‘A’ game.”
Hackett, meanwhile, was a close second in her Heat in a time of 22.78 which was good enough to see her advance to the semi-finals in overall 16th position. Hackett, who was runner-up to Ahye at the national Championships said: “My coach asked me to go out and execute the first 150 and look for a place semis and I did.”
Reyare Thomas finished fifth in her heat and overall 27th in a time of 22.97 seconds and missed out on advancing. When asked about her performance she replied: “I think it was not a bad race, but I did not do , what I was suppose to do on the turn, which was to execute my turn and that is my regret.” remarked Thomas
Former World 400 metres hurdles champion Jehue Gordon finished down the field and failed to progress in the men’s 400 metres hurdles event. The twenty-four-old challenging for a semi-final spot in the fourth heat return a time of 49.98 seasons, a season-best on Monday at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Speaking to the Trinidad Guardian after he said: “To be honest, I felt good, better than I have been feeling all year. Much thanks to the entire medical team that helped to bring me back to this phase, but it was not the result I was looking for at the end of day.”
He continued: “I know for myself it is a disappointment, as I have been on this stage already, but when you look at the heats, these guys running times that you would run in the semi-finals or finals. So in the end, the better guys won, so it is just to go home and improve on areas that I can,” Gordon pointed out to the Trinidad Guardian.
Gordon, who clocked 50.44 in the 400m hurdles finals where he placed second to Puerto Rico’s Eric Alejandro at the T&T National Track and Field Championship in June at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, said: “I felt good today. This was one of my better executed races. My body is feeling good and I look ahead to the World Championships next year, but before I move on we have to deal with all the complications with my body.”
Asked about criticisms faced after his performance, Gordon, the 2013 World Champion 400 metres hurdler said: “You hear people criticising us so much, you feel you are on your own, half of them do not even come to the national championships, half of them never even impacted our lives in any positive way, people who are supporting genuinely, we’re generally grateful for it.”