After Jehue Gordon's inspiring victory in the 400 metres hurdles at the World Championships in Moscow yesterday, Trinidad and Tobago's 4x400 metres really team placed second in their semifinal in a time of 3.00.48, which was the third fastest overall, behind USA and Jamaica and qualified for today's final at 1.30 pm (T&T time).
However, Olympics javelin champion, Keshorn Walcott failed to progress to tomorrow's final, finishing tenth overall in his event, while Kai Selvon also dropped out of contention in the 200 metres after reaching the semifinals.
The relay quartet of Renny Quow, Jarrin Solomon, La Londe Gordon and Deon Lendore stalked the USA team for the majority of the race with Quow and Solomon running blinders off the first two legs.
Solomon told the T&T Guardian that the objective was to reach the finals. "We did not want to use too much energy. We wanted to gauge ourselves as we look towards a big final showdown on Friday. We are ready, we know this race, we know each other and we have a lot of belief."
Solomon said T&T will not be taking any of the other teams for granted. "You have to concentrate on everybody because anybody could beat anybody on the day. Look at Russia who won the third semi final today."
Lendore described T&T's performance as a good run. "This was about pacing ourselves and ensuring that on Friday we have something left in the tank. So we are just going to go back and continue to get ourselves mentally ready for the final."
Gordon who was making his first appearance said he was a little slow. But after 100, I started to flow and move better because I have not competed in a 400 in over a month, so it is like waking my body up all over again."
As to his appearance in the 200 metres heats at 2.35am (TT time) today where he runs from Lane 7 against Olympic champion Usain Bolt in Lane 6, a cautious Gordon would only say: "I will just give it my best and see what happens."
If he advances, he will have to run the 200 metres semi finals at 11.17 ( TT time)
Walcott's first throw was 78.78 metres but he scratched in his second throw and his third and final throw was 75.84.
Interestingly , the best throw on the day was by Finland's Tero Pitkamaki of 84.39, which was Walcott's season best throw done at the Twilight Games at the Hasely Crawford Stadium. The 12th qualifier's time was 80.18 metres.
Walcott, clearly disappointed, said he was hoping to do better. "This has been my hardest season so far. My body is changing. It has been pretty tough with injuries, so this year has been really hard."
Walcott said he is not fully recovered from an ankle injury which has been affecting him throughout the year. My year started off pretty well but it went downhill from there and I have not fully recovered."
Also going into action today will be the women's 4x400 metres team in heat two from 11.41 am ( TT time). T&T's team will run from lane four with Great Britain and Ireland in lane 5 and the Bahamas in lane 7. The top two from each of the three heats, as well as the two fastest losers will progress to the finals.
This is new territory for T&T since it is the first ever 4x400 metres female team at these Championships. The team is Sparkle McKnight, Ramona Modeste, Dominique Williams and Shawna Fermin AB
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