T&T’s double Olympic bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon will go for gold in the men’s 400 metres at the Samsung Diamond League Athletissima in Lausanne, Switzerland, today. Gordon caught the attention of the world with his strong third-place finish in a personal best time of 44.52 seconds at the London Olympics on August 6 and will race in his first competition since his medal winning run. Gordon, who also led T&T’s 4x400m relay team to Olympic bronze in a national record of 2:59.40, will seek to turn the table on Grenadian Kirani James and Luguelin Santos. James and Santos took gold and silver, respectively, ahead of the Lowlands, Tobago quartermiler.
Speaking on his return home on Saturday, Gordon said he expects an exciting race. “Most of the guys I will be coming up against were the finals in the Olympics.  James and Santos will be there. I am going out there to do my best,” he said. The 23-year-old returned to his New York-USA base on Tuesday after participating in the Tobago leg of the nationwide motorcade for this country's Olympians on Monday. T&T's sprint aces Keston Bledman and Richard Thompson will line-up in a classy men's 100m field which includes world champion and double Olympic sprint silver medallist Yohan Blake of Jamaica, and fellow 4x100m relay gold medallist Nesta Carter. Former world champion American Tyson Gay and teammate Ryan Bailey, who were fourth and fifth respectively in the London 100m finals, are also among the starters.
In the women’s 100m, World Championships bronze medallist and Olympic sixth-place finisher Kelly Ann Baptiste will face a hot field in what looks like a rematch of the London Olympics finals. Gold, silver and bronze medallists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica), Carmelita Jeter (USA) and Veronica Campbell-Browne (Jamaica) head the list,  along with double sprint finalist Murielle Ahoure (Ivory Coast) and former Olympic and World Championships silver medallist Kerron Stewart (Jamaica). Former world junior champion Jeneba Tarmoh (USA) is among the starters. Cleopatra Borel will be aiming to improve on her second-place finish at the Gyluvlai Istan Memorial Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary on Monday. Borel will face two-time Olympic queen in the women's shot put Valarie Adams (New Zealand) and American Michelle Carter, who claimed the top spot in Hungary. Borel will be aiming at improving her season's best of 18.69m. Olympic champion Usain Bolt has opted to contest only the 200m and among five Jamaicans in the line-up. Compatriot and Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir and USA’s Wallace Spearmon will be among those to watch.
By Clayton Clarke
Source: www.guardian.co.tt