Machel Cedenio was T&T's main hope for a medal when he lined up in the Boys 400m final on the third day of action at the seventh IAAF World Youth Track and Field Championships at the Stadium Lille-Metropole in Lille, France yesterday. However, the Point Fortin athlete missed out a medal, crossing the line in fourth, just 0.22 seconds away from a the bronze medal. The Southern Academy student was still rewarded with a personal best and national youth record of 46.89, an improvement of the 46.96 he set at the Quantum Classic in May. The double Carifta champion started in lane two and was beaten by American Arman Hall (46.01), Kenya's Alphas Kishoyian (46.58) and Patryk Dobek of Poland (46.67). Cedenio finished ahead of Takuky Fukunaga of Japan (47.16), Bahamian Andre Wells (47.22) and Canada's Brendon Restall (47.34).
Cedenio matched the T&T best finish in the event. Jamil James was also fourth in the 2003 finals in Sherbrooke, Canada. Bahamian Shaunae Miller took the Girls 400m title in 51.84 seconds to add the World Youth title to her 2010 World Junior gold. Jereem Richards won his heat in the Boys 200m preliminaries. Richards took heat five in 21.85 seconds, to book his spot in today's semifinals set for 10.40 am. The 2011 Carifta boys Under-20 4x400m relay silver medallist will start in the third heat and will run from lane five. Richards, another Quantum athlete, will be aiming to finish in the top two to be certain of a place in the final set for tomorrow.
Shaunna Downey and Rueben Walters were also in action. Downey of Burnley Athletic Club was well below her best in the Girls discus qualifying round as she could only managed 17th in the Group A with 35.59m, well below the 48.50m standard to be guaranteed a spot in the final. Walters ran a lifetime best of 14.01 in the Boys 110m hurdles semifinals but his time was only good enough for fourth in heat three and 11th overall. The top eight advance to the final which was also to be contested yesterday. On the penultimate day of competition, today, the boys medley team of Walters, Richard, Cedenio and Theon Lewis will line up in lane two in the fourth and final heat carded for 6 am. The quartet will be seeking to win the heat to be assured a spot in tomorrow's final.
Results
Boys 400m finals
1 Arman Hall USA 46.01
2 Alphas Kishoyian Kenya 46.58
3 Patryk Dobek Poland 46.67
4 Machel Cedenio T&T 46.89 (NYR)
Boys 200m Preliminaries
Heat 5
1 Jereem Richards T&T 21.85
Boys 110m Hurdles Semifinals
1 Rueben Walters T&T 14.01 (PB)
Girls Discus Qualifying
Group A
17 Shaunna Downey T&T 35.59m
Day Four Schedule
Boys Medley Relay Preliminaries
Heat 4 (6 am)
Lane 2 (T&T)
Boys 200m Semifinals
Heat 3 (10.54 am)
Lane 4 Jereem Richards (T&T)
