Double Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon finished sixth in the men's 400m at the Diamond League leg of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, yesterday.Running out of lane seven, the Lowland-born quartermiler clocked a new season's best of 45.67, improving on his 46.39 set in his fifth-place finish in Shanghai, China, on May 18.American Lashawn Merritt won the race in 44.32, ahead of favourite and Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada 44.39. The 24-year-old missed out the World Championships B standard of 45.60. Keston Bledman was sixth in the men's 100m in a wind-assisted time of 10.10, as former World and Olympic champ Justin Gatlin of the USA took the top spot in 9.88 ahead of compatriot Michael Rodgers (9.94) and Ryan Bailey (10.00).
Ayodelle Taffe and Portious Warren were on fire on the first day of the National Junior Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, yesterday. Taffe (Abilene Wildcats) sped to victory in the boys under-20 100m in an impressive time of 10.30 seconds. The 2010 Youth Olympic Games competitor clocked a new personal best, improving on the 10.36 he clocked in finishing second at the Hampton Games on May 25.Taffe dipped under the Pan American Junior standard of 10.50, along with second-place finisher John-Mark Constantine's (Concorde) 10.37. Hay-Sean Cowie Clarke's (Zenith) 10.58 copped the bronze ahead of Micah Ballantyne's (Micah) 10.59 in a fast race, as fifth-place Holland Cabara (Abilene Wildcats) crossed the line in 10.65. In the semis, Taffe signalled that a fast time was ahead, as he was the quickest in 10.46 ahead of Constantine (10.52).
Warren of Toco TAFAC was the best in the field coming way with two gold medals. The 2012 Carifta bronze medallist captured the girls' under-18 shot-put and javelin titles. In the shot-put, her winning effort of 13.80 metres was over the World Youth standard of 13.50 but more than a metre short of her personal best of 14.88 set at NAAA Hurdles and Field Festival on April 27.
Two time-Carifta girls' under-17 shot-put gold medallist Chelsea James (Tobago Falcons) was second with 13.40, with Keneisha Paul (Memphis Pioneers) in third (10.74). James surpassed the World Youth standard with her 2012 Carifta win of 14.48m. Warren took the javelin earlier in the day, with a fifth-round effort of 33.56m. Warren will be going for third gold in the girls under-18 discus on Sunday, while Kenejah Williams (Tobago Falcons) will be seeking his second crown in the boys' under-18 shot-put, after securing the discus on Saturday (49.43), missing the World Youth standard of 53.50.
Carifta champion Jeminise Parris led three hurdlers to World Youth/Pan Am Junior qualifying times. Parris, the 2012 Carifta girls under-17 300m hurdles winner, took the girls under-18 100m hurdles in 14.39, getting past the World Youth mark of 14.55, while Aaron Lewis (Zenith) secured the boys under-18 110m hurdles in 13.93, dipping under the 14.40 World Youth standard.
Parris' Memphis Pioneers team-mate Reubin Walters landed the boys under-20 110m hurdles in 13.98 running into a 1.6 head wind. The 2012 CAC Junior champ was faster than the Pan American Junior standard of 14.00. Another Carifa gold medallist Hezekeil Romeo (Rebirth) secured the boys under-20 shot-put, with Pan Am Junior qualifying throw of 18.21 (standard 17.60). Lisa Wickham (Concorde) ran away with the girls' under-20 100m in a wind-aided time of 11.62 (+2.2) and got under the Pan Am Junior barrier of 11.65.
